Patient Schulhofer Helps Canoga Park End Wait, 5-1

Adam Schulhofer was thinking about his previous two at-bats as he stepped into the batter’s box against Sylmar High ace Olonzo Woodfin in the sixth inning Tuesday.

Schulhofer already had two hits and driven in a run to help Canoga Park to a one-run lead, but he was irked that he hadn’t taken more pitches and seen more of what Woodfin had to offer. Now, with a runner on second and nobody out, he was waiting for a fastball. Waiting for a curve. Waiting for Olonzo.

“I wanted to give myself a chance to get a good pitch,� Schulhofer said. “I wasn’t looking to hit the ball out of the park. I just wanted to wait and make good contact.�

Waiting, of course, always has been a big part of Canoga Park baseball. Before this season, the Hunters had been playing the sport for 36 years and they had had never appeared in a City championship game. If there’s one thing you learn playing for Canoga Park, it’s patience.

Schulhofer demonstrated great self control by keeping his bat back and his cleats on the ground as Woodfin delivered a 60 m.p.h. changeup. When the pitch finally floated up to the plate, Schulhofer delivered the biggest hit in Canoga Park history, blasting it over the left-field wall to key a three-run sixth that gave Canoga Park a 5-1 win in a City 4-A semifinal at Cal State Northridge.

Canoga Park (18-4) will meet Poly (21-4), a 6-4 winner Tuesday over Chatsworth, in the final Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. “As soon as I let go of it, I knew it was gone,� said Woodfin (11-5), who gave up seven hits and struck out four. “I felt strong and I was still throwing hard in the sixth. I just got that pitch up.�

Canoga Park pitcher Mike Kerber had kept the Sylmar batters down with a slider that was nearly unhittable. After shaking off some first-inning wildness, Kerber turned in a near-flawless, 12-strikeout, complete-game performance. Kerber (7-0), a junior right-hander, won his 12th straight career game without a loss.

“I’ve used the slider as my out pitch all year, but I used it a little more than usual today,� Kerber said. “My arm was bothering me all day. It didn’t feel strong like it had in the last three games. I was a little worried about it when I was warming up before the game, but I just decided that I had to become more of a pitcher today.�

Canoga Park took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Schulhofer drove in Scott Strickland, who had singled to lead off the bottom of the first.

Sylmar (16-9) came back in the second with a run that the Spartans manufactured with their speed.

Tom Shelburne drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a single by Dave Nunez. With Vernon Hanagami at the plate one out later, Nunez broke for second and drew a throw from Canoga Park catcher Mike Urman. As soon as the ball left Urman’s hand, Shelburne broke for home and scored before Nunez was tagged out in a rundown.

The score remained tied until the fourth when Urman’s sacrifice fly to right scored Schulhofer to give the Hunters a 2-1 lead.

That set the stage for the decisive home half of the sixth. Aaron Marks led off with a double that went over the head of Sylmar right fielder Tony Taisacan and Schulhofer followed with his home run.

“I called the pitch,� Sylmar Coach John Klitsner said. “Olonzo had been keeping it down for most of the game. He’s great, but he’s not perfect.�

The Hunters added their final run of the inning--and of the game--on back-to-back doubles by Kerber and Urman.

“It’s fun. It’s great fun,� said Doug MacKenzie, who is the only baseball coach Canoga Park has ever had. “In 37 years, you get an awful lot of exciting moments.�

And Thursday night at Dodger Stadium could provide the most exciting one of all.