San Fernando Adds to String of Fantastic 4-A Finishes

Everyone in attendance at Dodger Stadium will acknowledge that San Fernando High’s 3-2 victory over Banning in Friday night’s City Section 4-A Division baseball final was electrifying.

The Tigers scored the winning run with two out in the seventh. Yet the game was just merely the most recent in a series of late-inning, Richter scale jolts.

The previous four 4-A finals also were decided by one run, seventh-inning developments having become commonplace. Which is not to be confused with routine.

Furthermore, in each game, the potential tying run has been in scoring position in the seventh inning.

To wit:

* In 1987, Canoga Park defeated Poly, 5-4. Poly scored three times in the seventh to creep within one run, but with runners at first and second the Hunters recorded the final out.

* In 1988, Monroe beat San Fernando, 3-2. The Tigers had a runner at second base in the seventh. A potential score-tying liner hit by Richard Ortiz down the line in left curved foul at the last instant, though, and the Vikings chalked up the victory when Ortiz flied out.

* In 1989, Kennedy defeated Palisades, 4-3. Kennedy right-hander Mitch Cizek, pitching on two days’ rest, surrendered a ground-rule double with two out in the seventh but retired the next batter. Cizek made it back to Chavez Ravine on Friday night--as a stadium security guard.

* In 1990, Chatsworth scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to defeat favored El Camino Real, 3-2. A squeeze bunt by light-hitting Tommy Lee drove in the winning run from third.

The lesson? Sure, it’s Dodger Stadium, but resist the long-standing temptation to leave early.

Add 4-A final: Ingredients in San Fernando’s victory included a touch of good fortune and some well-timed advice from Coach Steve Marden.

With the score tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the seventh, Abel Barajas was nearly hit by Banning pitcher Mike Busby’s first pitch. The plate umpire, however, ruled that time had been called and that the pitch did not count, so Marden walked out to question the call.

While standing near the plate, Marden gave Barajas a little batting reminder. Or baiting reminder.

“I told him that when a pitch is up and in, to roll (his left shoulder) into it, not dive out of the way,� Marden said. “That way it still looks like he’s trying to get out of the way. And guess what? He turns into one and it turns out to be the winning run.�

Busby nailed Barajas with his next offering, putting the winning rally in motion.

Second add 4-A final: Marden rolled the dice in the seventh, and it paid off when David Rojas delivered the game-winning single with two out and Barajas at third. But if Rojas had not singled, the coach might have been the target of second-guessers.

With Barajas at third and one out, Ethan Rodriguez stepped in. Rodriguez, who entered the game with the fourth-highest batting average (.354) among Tiger regulars, seemed a likely candidate to try a squeeze bunt--he bats second in the order.

Marden took a look at the Banning infield--the first and third baseman were playing so shallow that they were virtually even with the mound--took a look at the slow-footed Barajas, then peeked at the on-deck circle.

“Ethan could have taken a fungo bat and reached out and touched about six Banning players,� Marden said. “I felt that even if he did get the bunt down there was no guarantee we could get Barajas home from third.

“And if we blow the bunt our chance of scoring becomes basically nil.�

Marden decided not to employ a pinch-runner for Barajas because the sophomore catcher already been pinch-hit for in the fifth inning and, consequently, his re-entry option had expired. Besides, Rojas, menacingly waving a bat on deck, had come through time and time again in the playoffs.

“Rojas had done it for me all year,� Marden said.

The senior second baseman had a bases-loaded single to drive in two runs in the Tigers’ 6-2 first-round victory over third-seeded University. He had a single, double and triple in a 7-3 second-round win over Mid-Valley League co-champion Birmingham. He added two hits against second-seeded Sylmar and then came through in prime time against Busby.

Rojas was seven for 13 in the playoffs. After the game, he was handed the Les Haserot Award, given annually to the player with the best overall performance in the tournament. Haserot coached Fremont to six City titles from 1939-48.