Flag Day for Sylmar, Chatsworth

SYLMAR —  Unlike most trilogies, Sylmar-North Hollywood High III may have been the best performance.

The third meeting between the teams, this time in the regular-season finale at Sylmar, had it all--a great defensive play, a 400-foot blast and a bases-loaded, two-out situation in the final inning.

When it was over, Sylmar had fended off North Hollywood, 4-1, on Wednesday and won its first East Valley League baseball title since 1994.

The Spartans (20-6, 14-3 in league play) were no-hit by North Hollywood (17-13-1, 12-4-1) in a loss Monday, but an attitude adjustment came 48 hours later.

Sylmar’s intensity was evident on defense, with right fielder Edson Gonzales’ diving grab of a Louie Lopez hit in the sixth inning, and with Eddie Camacho’s 400-foot run-scoring triple later that inning.

Camacho was thrown out trying to score, but Coach Gary Donatella didn’t care: It was the thought that counted.

“I guess there was a sense of urgency today,” Donatella said.

Sylmar pitcher Ivan Hernandez settled down after an unsettling start, striking out 11, walking three and allowing four hits.

Hernandez, who allowed a run in the first inning, worked out of a major jam in the top of the seventh, striking out Jerrit Redlich to end the game with the bases loaded.

Hernandez (9-2), who twisted his right ankle leaping for Raul Castandea’s single up the middle earlier in the inning, never considered leaving the game.

“I didn’t think he’d come out unless he was dying,” Donatella said. “I would have had to drag him off.”

Hernandez looked sharp in defeating the Huskies two weeks ago, 5-2, his only mistakes coming against Ismael Rangsiyawong, who hit two home runs.

Rangsiyawong went one for three Wednesday.

“A lot of hard work, just to end it like this,” said Rangsiyawong, who had a first-inning single, popped to right in the third and struck out in the sixth inning.

Sylmar broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the third. Gonzales scored the go-ahead run on a grounder to first base by Carl Ball.

North Hollywood won the league title last season for the first time in 27 years, but three errors and an inconsistent offense made a title defense impossible.

“Just too many mistakes,” North Hollywood Coach George Vranau said.

Hernandez, a junior, will be back next year for Sylmar, but this one was special.

“Our year will be remembered here,” he said. “We haven’t had a league championship in a while.”

Sylmar is expected to receive a top-four seeding in the City Section 4-A Division playoffs, which begin May 29. The seeding meeting is Tuesday.

In other City baseball games:

Poly 4, Grant 3--Pinch runner Ricky Garcia scored from second on a fielding error in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Parrots (16-6-2, 11-4-2) to an East Valley League win. Juan Guerrero led Poly with three hits.

Birmingham 8, Taft 0--Joey Rubin pitched a four-hitter with seven strikeouts and two walks for Birmingham (10-19, 1-16) in a West Valley League game at Taft (10-15, 7-9).