Diana, 3 Others Are Reinstated by Cleveland

Unfortunately for senior Michele Diana--and the rest of the Cleveland High softball team--the “little misunderstanding” between her and Coach Kim Kelly interrupted what Diana considers the “strongest year” of her career.

Diana said she was “averaging a triple a game” before she had a falling-out with Kelly two weeks ago. Kelly, in her second season, dismissed Diana from the team before Cleveland’s North Valley League game against San Fernando on April 22 for “blatant misconduct.” In a show of loyalty, teammates Maranda Pierfax, Amanda Palardy and Cecile Candari left the team a week later and refused to play in a game against Granada Hills, leaving just nine players on the team.

On Friday, Diana met with school administrators and by the end of that meeting, Diana--and her three teammates--were back on the team.

“I was told by administrators not to talk about it,” Diana said. “I really wish it didn’t happen. It was something that just carried on too long.”

Diana wants to put the incident behind her and help the Cavaliers earn a playoff berth. But that won’t be easy. Cleveland (5-8) is winless in conference play (0-7). “It’s been a rocky year,” she said.

Diana, a high-profile student at Cleveland who has lettered in football, soccer, softball, track and volleyball, is the state’s most prolific female scorer in football. As a kicker last fall, she set a state record for females with 14 points--11 extra points and a field goal.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

BASEBALL

Every team in the conference has felt the offensive wrath of Kennedy’s big three. They are Rick Nadeau, Jeff Tagliaferri and David Bourne, who bat 3-4-5 in the lineup and have combined for 18 home runs and 88 runs batted in.

Last week, the bottom of the lineup more than chipped in. Geoff Hall, Pablo Perez, Keith Thompson and Ken Bernas, who bat 6-7-8-9, were a combined 11 for 19 and scored 10 of the team’s 23 runs in a pair of victories over Cleveland. . . .

Kennedy senior right-hander Miguel Diaz (9-1) leads the conference in victories. He may also lead it in a more-dubious distinction: hit batsmen. Diaz, who throws sidearm and pitched a no-hitter in his first start, has plunked 13 batters.

“He doesn’t hit ‘em very hard,” Coach Manny Alvarado said, laughing. “It’s usually a curve that gets away. That happens sometimes with the sidearm guys.” . . .

El Camino Real, which third baseman Justin Balser recently classified as a lineup full of spray hitters, slammed six homers in a pair of victories over last-place Reseda last week.

Balser, in fact, hit a pair to give him a team-high five. Outfielder-pitcher Randy Wolf also hit two. Before the long-ball outburst, the Conquistadores had hit seven in their previous 15 games. . . .

VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE

BASEBALL

Monroe right-hander Joel Zamudio, sidelined from pitching for two weeks with a pulled muscle near his rib cage, could be back in action this week. Zamudio, a junior who is 5-0 with an ERA of 1.17, is the only pitcher who has beaten El Camino Real, ranked fourth in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

Zamudio has continued to play at first base, however, where he is batting .400 with a team-high 18 RBIs.

Robert Ballester, who took Zamudio’s place in the rotation, gave the Vikings a big boost last week against Van Nuys by pitching a 1-0 victory. . . .

FOOTHILL LEAGUE

BASEBALL

As Saugus baseball Coach Doug Worley can attest, sometimes you have to lose something to appreciate it. The Centurions have learned a lot about losing lately.

An area power for years, the Santa Clarita Valley team fell on hard times this season. Saugus, which figured to challenge for the league championship, entered last week in the with an 0-6 record.

This was unfamiliar territory for the Centurions, who won 17 games in a row last season. They were used to rolling over competition while taking one league title after another under Worley--not being rolled over .

“It was frustrating. We’re not used to being on the other end,” Worley said. “After a while you get numb and think, ‘What next?’ ”

Finally, what came next was good.

The Centurions returned to form last week. First they defeated Burbank, 9-6, to gain league win No. 1. They rode that momentum to a 10-5 victory over league-leading Hart.

Saugus (13-8, 3-6) is closing in on fourth place Burbank (7-8, 2-5) and still has an outside chance to make the playoffs.

“When you win so much you don’t appreciate it after a while,” Worley said. “We took it for granted but we got a real lesson in appreciation.

“I guess life is like that.”

* Who’s hot: Hart senior right-hander Gary Stephenson (6-2) leads the league in innings pitched (56 1/3), strikeouts (64), earned-run average (1.12) and saves (two). He is tied for the league lead in victories with teammate Luis Sanchez (6-0).

* Who’s not: Saugus’ defense hasn’t helped senior right-hander Bobby Cowan. Only 12 of the 31 runs he has allowed are earned. Cowan is 3-6 with a 1.86 ERA.

Staff writers Steve Elling, Paige A. Leech and Jason H. Reid contributed to this notebook.