Studio City Knocks Camarillo Out of Area 6 Playoffs

Studio City rode into Pomona this week wondering which would be longer, the drive from the Valley or its stay in the Area 6 American Legion baseball playoffs.

The No. 2 team out of District 20 was supposed to take its knocks and leave quietly, but apparently someone forgot to tell Studio City. It eliminated Camarillo, 8-7, Friday in the second round of the tournament at Ralph Welch Park and is one win away from a berth in the championship game.

“Nobody expected us to do whole a lot,” Studio City Coach Joe Contreraz said. “But the kids have really been battling.”

Studio City advanced with four key hits--all with two outs--accounting for all of its runs.

“We don’t do things very easy,” Manager Chuck Hatfield said.

Studio City (22-10) advances to 4 p.m. game today against the winner of Friday night’s late game between Claremont and Santa Monica.

Studio City took a 6-5 lead into the seventh inning and added a pair of insurance runs on Don Kelley’s home run. The field has no fence, but center fielder Gil Valencia didn’t run down the ball until Kelley was almost to third base.

Still, Studio City had to hold off an eighth-inning Camarillo rally to secure the win.

Buddy Wray led off the Camarillo eighth with a single and, one out later, went to second on John Swanson’s single. Chris Sorich hit an apparent double-play grounder to shortstop Peter Ortiz, but Kelley’s relay to first sailed out of play, allowing Wray to score and putting Sorich on second. Sorich scored when Ortiz dropped Valencia’s pop up, bringing Camarillo within a run.

Valencia stole second but was stranded when Damon Dicus grounded to Kelley at second. Studio City pitcher Nino Romo retired the side in order in the ninth to finish with a complete-game win,

Romo, who was pitching for only the second time in five weeks, struck out four and walked four.

“We didn’t expect that from Nino,” Contreraz said. “he was a big plus.”

But he wasn’t the only plus. McGahan and Kelley also had big games for Studio City. Kelley’s run-scoring single provided Studio City with a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

“He hasn’t been hitting the ball real well lately, but he sure got ahold of that one, “ Contreraz said.

Camarillo scored three times in the second inning when Kenny Knight ripped a two-run homer, his 12th of the season, and John Swanson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

But with two outs and then bases loaded in the bottom of the second, Eric Garcia blooped a single that fell among three fielders in shallow center to clear the bases. McGahan followed with a home run over Swanson’s head in right field.

Camarillo cut the deficit to 6-5 in the fifth inning when Knight hit a run-scoring triple and scored on a single by Jeremy Sumrow.

Kelley went 2 for 4 with three RBIs to lead Studio City. Knight went 4 for 5 with three RBIs and Swanson had two hits for Camarillo, which entered the tournament as the District 16 champion, but dropped its only two games to finish with a 24-7 record.

“We didn’t swing that bat like we have been all year,” Camarillo Coach Rich Herrera said.