CANYON COUNTRY - It was not artistic, but Hart High of Newhall will take its 10-9 victory today at Golden Valley in the Foothill League baseball opener.

The game lasted more than three hours and included 10 errors (six by Hart), 17 walks, four hit batters, three passed balls and numerous mental mistakes by both teams.

It was only fitting that an inexcusable mistake ended the game when a Golden Valley pinch-runner was caught sleeping and was picked off third base for the final out.

Hart's Josh Wagner (4-0) pitched four relief innings to earn the win, Kevin Bailey's two-run single in the sixth gave Hart (6-2, 1-0) the lead the for good, and Theo Stafford pitched the last inning for his third save in three opportunities.

"It wasn't pretty, but it was nice to get the win, especially in the league opener," Wagner said. "We're a lot more mature than this, and next game we're going to play the game the way it's supposed to be played. I just think we were a little nervous and excited at the same time. Now that we've got our first (league) win, we'll be better."

Added teammate Patrick Valaika: "We didn't play our game but we were glad to get the win."

Golden Valley upset Hart on the same field last year in what was probably the young program's most significant win ever. This time, the Grizzlies (3-4, 0-1) have just two seniors in the lineup, and it showed under pressure.

"We got bit by the young-guys bug and just made too many mental mistakes," Golden Valley coach Scott Drootin. "The play at the end, the pinch-runner was a sophomore. Too many critical mistakes. Just a sloppy game."

Down 4-2 in the third, Golden Valley rallied for three runs and batted around without the benefit of a hit, parlaying three walks, two hit batters and a two-run outfield error.

Then Hart came right back with a two-run rally highlighted by Nolan Simons' RBI double to regain the lead 6-5, only to fall behind again when Golden Valley pushed two more runs across in the bottom of the fourth to go up 7-6.

"I've got to give my kids credit because they kept coming back," Drootin said. "I would love to say I'm still happy after a 10-9 loss, but I'm not. I think we had a chance in this one."
In the top of sixth, Hart scored three runs, including Bailey's two-run single that scored Valaika and Tyler Glasnow for an 8-7 lead that the Indians never relinquished.

Yet the bottom of seventh was scary, even with Hart's top closer Stafford on the mound. Golden Valley's Josh Granado got aboard on a fielder's choice, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an error. With runners on first and third and Josh Smith at the plate, Stafford picked off a pinch-runner at third as Rocky Sherwood was running from first to second on a catcher's indecision.

"I definitely like being in situations like that," Stafford said.

Hart's Danny Dietz was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Simons was 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI, and Wagner was 1 for 3 with an RBI-double, two runs, a walk and a stolen base.
Brandon Smith singled and scored twice for Golden Valley, and Tanner Swine added a double and two RBIs.

Scott Barlow, who entered with 25 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, took the loss, giving up six runs in 3 2/3 innings.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Just got off the line with ever-friendly Crespi coach Scott Muckey, and he reports Ryon Healy is scheduled to see a doctor Tuesday to examine his right pitching elbow.

Healy, who was 13-0 last year and is also a top hitter, is playing DH today against visiting Chaminade of West Hills.

Last time against Chaminade this past Tuesday, Healy was pitching and felt tightness in his elbow and pulled himself.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Neighboring schools St. Francis and La Canada are both off to a good start.

St. Francis, coming off a championship victory in the Arcadia Elks tournament, won its first six games before falling 2-1 to Saugus on Wednesday. Overall, the pitching-rich Knights (6-1) have outscored opponents 56-15 heading into a nonleague game Saturday against Crescenta Valley.

La Canada, led by Anthony Mizrahi (three home runs) is 5-2 after an upset loss to Pasadena Poly on Wednesday. The Spartans open Rio Hondo League competition today vs. San Marino (2-4).

Paul Schilling is the new head coach at Crescenta Valley, replacing Tony Zarrillo.

Schilling, in the eighth year of his second stint at Crescenta Valley, served as defensive coordinator last season. He has also worked as an assistant at Saugus.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Johnny Hay, a former Canyon standout, is having a great junior season at Chico State. He's batting .368 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs in 20 games.

-- Gerry Gittelson

2010 Battle of the Valley
Boys Senior All Star Game
Saturday April 17
Cal State Northridge 7 p.m.

West Roster
30-Bryce Jones-Taft
40-Pierson Williams-Taft
10-Jamal McClerkin-Chaminade
12-Alex Tiffin-Thousand Oaks
44-James Whalen-Thousand Oaks
14-Mark Friedman-Westlake
32-Jason Johnson-Cleveland
34-Tre Holden-El Camino Real
24-Jordan Coleman-Calabasas
4-Dushon Carter-Renaissance Academy
22-Hasan Khan-Agoura
42-C.J. Faulwell-Simi Valley
3-Blake Stanton-Crespi

COACH-David Rebibo (El Camino Real)
Assistants-Joe Wyatt, Bruce Neale, Russell White

East Roster
1-Jeremy Sulker-Hall-Notre Dame
5-Coltrane Powdrill-Crescenta Valley
31-Nick Dragovich-Crescenta Valley
33-Jared Garner-Grant
52-Darrell Haley-Palmdale
13-Larry Slaughter-Knight
43-Argin Gerigorian-Burbank
25-Quincy Moore-Eastside
23-Sahdi Odu-Birmingham
10-Nick Brown-Verdugo Hills
0-Jermaine Dansby-Community Charter
3-Taylor Statham-Golden Valley
15-Trevor Wiseman-Golden Valley

Coach-Jose Hernandez (Burbank)

2010 VALLEY SPORTS FOUNDATION
BATTLE OF THE VALLEY
SENIOR ALL STAR GAME
April 17 @ Cal St. Northridge 5 p.m.

West-
44-Taylor Ignoto-Westlake
4-Erin Dautremont-Chaminade
24-Jazzmyn Davis-Birmingham
20-Sarah Rebibo-El Camino Real
50-Amari Hampton-Taft
12-Rmanii Haynes-Taft
30-Destinee Sellers-Chatsworth
14-Monica Jackson-Chatsworth
40-Destinee La Fountain-Royal
32-Sasha Borenstein-Agoura
22-Brittany Oster-Agoura
34-Katie Brooks-Oaks Chr.

Head Coach Steve Scifres (Agoura)
Assts.-Pat Cunningham, Steve Fisher, Scott McCreary

East-
23-Angelica Sahagun-Alemany
24-Margeaux Gupilan-Bell-Jeff
25-Chantel Dooley-Montclair Prep
43-Shannon Denney-La Canada
15-Kody Burke-Notre Dame
11-Brooke Lemar-Canyon
13-Cassie Pappas-Crescenta Valley
3-Sydney Haydel-Harvard-Westlake
45-Nicole Nesbit-Harvard-Westlake
35-Nicole Hung-Harvard-Westlake
33-Megan Musashi-Flintridge Prep
41-Trinidee Trice-Alemany
31-Leticia Pelayo-Sylmar

Head Coach Jason Perez (Crescenta Valley)
Assistants-Paul Gross, Mark Gross, Bob DaCorsi

A year after Golden Valley High shocked Hart of Newhall with a 4-2 baseball victory that was probably the most significant win in Grizzlies' history, the teams return to Golden Valley today at 3:15 p.m. in a Foothill League opener.

If Golden Valley comes through with another victory over tradition-rich Hart, perhaps it won't be such a shock because Golden Valley starter Scott Barlow is among the Southland's hottest pitchers with 25 strikeouts in 11 innings - including a school-record 17 strikeouts in one game March 10 against Eastside of Lancaster.

To put Barlow's 17 strikeouts in perspective, no Hart pitcher has totaled more than 16 in a game since at least 1987 and probably a lot longer, according to Hart's meticulous long-time scorekeeper, Mike Gaber.

"I'm really excited. I want to do the best I can," said Barlow, a junior right-hander. "It's really important to get off on the right foot because if you don't have a good start, you're falling behind."

There was one catch last time: The wind was blowing at about 50 mph at Golden Valley for most of the game - that's no exaggeration - with large clouds of dust flying around.

"Yeah, it was windy, but I'm used to it because I'm from Connecticut," said Barlow, who got the save that day.

Hart is 8-1 all-time against Golden Valley.

-- Gerry Gittelson

After losing four in a row to start the season, Quartz Hill has turned things around by winning its last four to even its record heading into a the championship game of the 16-team Knight of Palmdale tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday against visiting Victor Valley.

Quartz Hill has outscored opponents 49-10 during the streak.

"After going 0-4, we had a team meeting, not to point any fingers but just to see what we could do to fix it," Quartz Hill coach Aaron Kavanaugh said. "They never gave up and never stopped working hard. I like winning a lot better."

Quartz Hill received a strong pitching performance Tuesday from Jack Sheeley, who shut out Oak Hills of Hesperia 11-0 while allowing two hits and striking out 10.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Andy Rosenberger, an infielder/pitcher for Chaminade of West Hills, is finally healthy after a misdiagnosed shoulder injury cost him all of his junior season.

In June of his sophomore year in 2008, Rosenberger felt pain in his right pitching elbow and was told by a doctor it was just a sore arm. It wasn't discovered until much later that Rosenberger actually was pitching for weeks with a compression fracture in his elbow.

"The doctor kept saying he did an MRI and didn't see anything, so all he was doing was giving Andy anti-inflammatory pills," said Rosenberger's mother, Cathy. "Every time he would pitch, it would hurt like crazy, so he would have to take a week off. This happened over and over again."

This season, Rosenberger has made two brief pitching appearances, and he's doing especially well at the plate with a .471 average heading into the week - including going 4 for 4 in a win over high-powered West Ranch of Stevenson Ranch.

-- Gerry Gittelson