For Huskies, It’s Big-Time in Seventh

SYLMAR — In its biggest game of the season, the North Hollywood High baseball team played the “little game” and defeated Sylmar, 3-2, at Sylmar High on Tuesday, clinching at least a tie for its first Valley Pac-8 Conference title in 40 years.

Third baseman Edgar Pineda hit a double just inside the right-field line and drove in pitcher Merrill Dunn from second base with the eventual winning run for the Huskies (23-6, 13-3 in league play) in the top of the seventh inning.

Dunn, who led off the seventh with a four-pitch walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by left fielder Victor Solis.

“When I was on deck, I knew we were playing for the little game,” Pineda said. “I was just hoping the ball would stay in and thank God it did.”

The conference championship brings to fruition a vision North Hollywood Coach George Vranau had when he took over a struggling program three years ago.

“This is all part of the three-year plan,” Vranau said after the game. “This is a victory for the program, not just the varsity team.”

Sylmar No. 9 hitter Armando Garcia failed twice to execute a squeeze play with one out and the score tied 2-2 in the fifth inning. He struck out on the second attempt and Mario Pacheco got halfway down the third-base line and was eventually tagged out trying to retreat.

“He’s done that before and I’ve done that before,” Vranau said of the squeeze play with two strikes. “This is the type of game where you’ve got to let it all hang loose, so I called for a low curve to make it as difficult as possible for them to execute the play.”

The Spartans fell to 15-10, 12-4 and will play Poly (12-4) on Thursday. Dunn (9-2) pitched a two-hitter and neither of the Sylmar runs were earned.

* ROUNDUP

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