Road to City Final Runs Through Valley

TORRANCE —  Interesting concept, spring training late in May.

In need of a return to baseball basics, Kennedy High spent several days before the playoffs on the boring stuff--the fundamentals.

Most of the drills centered on hitting, a particular need of the Golden Cougars, more apt to win a low-scoring game than a 14-run bonanza.

Then came the playoffs.

Kennedy continued its recent surge in run production, destroying Banning, 10-1, in a semifinal game of the City Championship on Thursday at El Camino College.

The Golden Cougars (22-11-1), seeded No. 9, pounded out 14 hits and earned a date with sixth-seeded El Camino Real (21-8) in the championship game Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Kennedy did similar damage in an upset of top-seeded Chatsworth on Tuesday, when the collected 16 hits in an 11-4 victory.

Kennedy scored six runs in a first-round victory over Carson, suddenly an alarmingly low amount for the Golden Cougars.

It can be directly traced to the 10 days between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs.

“We went back to spring training,” said Coach Manny Alvarado of Kennedy. “We got the tees out, hit soft toss, hit balls with broomsticks. It paid off.”

Kennedy chased starter Rafael Sixtos (13-2) in the fourth inning, a surprising feat against a pitcher who pitcher three no-hitters this season and has decent pop on his fastball, clocked at 86 mph on Thursday.

Then again, Kennedy defeated Sixtos in the quarterfinals last year, 9-8.

“I think he’s probably thrown a lot of innings and he’s probably getting a little tired,” Alvarado said. “I’ve seen him better.”

Kennedy was flawless defensively, committing no errors against the No. 5-seeded Pilots (26-8). Adam Geery (4-5) allowed only three hits in seven innings and settled down after allowing a triple and a single to the first two batters he faced.

“I told [my teammates], you give me more than one run and we’ll win this game,” Geery said.

The Golden Cougars, who have won five City titles, three under Alvarado, scored two runs in the second and two in the third to take a 4-1 lead. They added three in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it 9-1.

Who knew practicing with broomsticks could be so productive?

“It turned out to be a good thing,” said center fielder Danny Mata, who had a single, double and two runs batted in.

“People said we couldn’t hit. We showed we can. We knew it all along.”

Banning is now a believer.

“No psychological stuff,” said Coach John Gonzalez of Banning.

“They just outplayed us. They’re on a roll now.”

It remains to be seen whether Kennedy can continue its rampage of runs against El Camino Real.

Kennedy lost to El Camino Real, 9-8, in a nonleague game March 14 that went nine innings.

Kennedy held a 6-3 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning, but Conor Jackson hit a three-run home run to tie the score.

At the very least, Kennedy’s and El Camino Real’s victories Thursday ensured a Valley-area team will win the City title for the 27th time in 28 years.

“I want El Camino Real,” Geery said.

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CITY PLAYOFFS

Semifinal Results

Kennedy 10,

Banning 1

El Camino Real 13, Roosevelt 1

Championship Game

At Dodger Stadium

Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Kennedy (22-11-1) vs.

El Camino Real (21-8)