MIDWEEK REPORT / HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS UPDATE : His Nose Was Broken on a Hard-Nosed Play

You could say that Sylmar High second baseman Mario Rodriguez has a nose for the game.

Unfortunately, that nose is now broken.

On a fly ball against North Hollywood in the bottom of the eighth inning last week, Rodriguez tagged from second and dove into third. The tag came down on his helmet, driving his nose into the base.

“He came right up and said, ‘My nose is broken,’ ” Coach Gary Donatella said. “I looked up and sure as hell there was blood, and swelling had already begun.”

Although Rodriguez was pulled for a pinch-runner, he returned to the lineup Tuesday for the Spartans’ next game.

“He’s done a good job for us this year and I’d hate to lose him,” Donatella said.

Baseball Notes

City Section

VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE

East Valley League--North Hollywood (9-14) has won nearly twice as many games as last season and has a shot at gaining an at-large playoff berth if the Huskies can scratch out a couple more victories. . . . Meanwhile, Grant, 3-10 in league play and nine games out of first, is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in three years under Coach Jeremy Lawrence. Grant finished third last year behind Poly and Sylmar but gained an at-large berth. . . . Poly collected 42 hits in three games last week, second only to the 46 in three games by Reseda. Poly’s Abel Salazar was eight for nine and Steve Guerrero went six for 10 with eight RBIs. “We’ve been swinging the bat well since we got back from Vegas,” Coach Chuck Schwal said.

Mid-Valley League--Monroe has lost a lot in the way of team personnel in the last year, but that hasn’t seemed to affect the Vikings’ league standing. Monroe, which has only two returning starters, is a game behind first-place Reseda. The teams will play at Monroe today at 3 p.m.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

North Valley League--San Fernando suffered a blow in its run for the City Section playoffs when it lost junior shortstop Alex Esqueda to academic ineligibility. Esqueda was hitting .327. . . . Kennedy’s offense, which struggled at the start of the season, is beginning to resemble the one that set school records last year. The latest Golden Cougar to heat up is designated hitter Christian Bartlett, who had five RBIs in a 15-8 victory over San Fernando on Monday. Kennedy has scored 39 runs in its last three games. . . . Kennedy right-hander Jon Garland (6-1) lowered his earned-run average below 3.00 for the first time this season with five scoreless innings against Cleveland last Wednesday. . . . After a rough series against Kennedy, Cleveland bounced back with a 3-1 victory over Granada Hills on Monday. Jared Mills pitched his best game since undergoing lung surgery in March but left the game in the fifth inning after he was hit in the leg by a line drive. Mike Schultz finished up for his first save.

West Valley League--Chatsworth has arguably the most potent offense in the region. The Chancellors are averaging 8.8 runs a game. Leadoff hitter Mike Wexler, who had never hit a home run at any level in high school before a grand slam against El Camino Real two weeks ago, hit another home run last week against Taft. Frank Dipoma has gone four for five in two of Chatsworth’s last three games, including a 15-3 victory over Birmingham on Monday. . . . After a month in which no clear-cut leader emerged in the standings, Chatsworth and El Camino Real have distanced themselves from Taft and Birmingham. Chatsworth holds a one-game lead over the Conquistadores. The teams meet Monday.

Southern Section

CHANNEL

Buena’s league results break down to a 1-5 record at home and 5-0 on the road. . . . Ventura continues to enjoy its upset of archrival Buena last week when the Cougars squeezed in the winning run on a bunt by Thad Metz. “That was good for the kids, it lifted them up,” Coach Dan Smith said. Ventura has improved its defense in recent weeks but Smith said the Cougars are all too often a weak-hitting outfit. “We give up too many runs early and can’t produce enough of our own to get back in the game,” Smith said. In a pleasant exception, Ventura scored seven runs in the seventh inning to beat Oxnard, 10-7, on April 19. The Cougars pulled out a 3-2 victory last Friday, again in the seventh inning, on a home run by Metz and a run-scoring triple by Marcus Tovar. . . . Hueneme’s hottest player entering the week was junior Pedro Cervantes, who was hitting at a .476 clip in his last seven games.

FOOTHILL

Hart staged quite a welcome-back party Tuesday for Mike Bland and Brian Baron, seniors who had missed most of the season because of injury. Bland (broken thumb) came back to hit a three-run home run in a 24-5 victory over Valencia. Baron (stress fracture in an ankle) had a triple and two doubles. Both celebrated their biggest offensive days since they returned to the lineup within the past two weeks. . . . Hart’s Cody Joyce remains red hot. He entered the week with a .481 batting average and promptly hit a home run and two doubles, driving in six Tuesday. . . . Burbank, at 7-5 in league play, is very much in the race for a playoff berth, but Coach Frank Des Enfants said the Bulldogs would be much better with a summer American Legion program. “We need to play those extra 26 ballgames,” he said.

FRONTIER

Santa Paula was forced to move its scheduled home game against Malibu on Tuesday to Malibu because of the brush fires near Santa Paula and Fillmore. The Cardinals were unable to practice Monday because fire engines were parked on their practice field but downed the Sharks, 11-4. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak that began last week with an emotional setback against Calabasas and continued with losses to Santa Clara and Moorpark. “We just hope we can still hang in there in second place and make the playoffs,” said Coach Henry Jacinto, whose Cardinals were at one time ranked among The Times’ top 10 area teams. “It was demoralizing and sometimes it’s hard for young ballplayers to see a silver lining.” . . . . Calabasas ace Tanner Trosper wasn’t surprised to see the Coyotes’ league rival take a turn for the worse. “We had a lot of confidence playing them [last week],” he said. “Their pitching’s not overpowering and they’ve got a good solid team but no standouts like we do, and that’s what you need in big games.” Still, it was little-known Calabasas outfielder Jarrod Schwartz who drove in the winning run Tuesday as the Coyotes rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth to down Moorpark, 6-2. . . . Santa Clara’s Vince Herrera returned to the mound last week for the first time since he suffered a shoulder injury in the outfield early in the season. Herrera (2-1) pitched six innings and earned a one-run victory over Santa Paula.

GOLDEN

Palmdale Coach Randy Lintemoot knew his team had a lot of big hits in its 25-4 victory over Highland last week, but he was shocked when he reviewed the score book and saw his players had hit 12 doubles. The Falcons tied a Southern Section record for doubles by one team in a game. Cory Briggs had three. The Falcons, who had 24 hits, have not had consistent offense this season. “We’re pretty stagnant,” Lintemoot said. “We’ve just had a couple blowout games.” . . . With Quartz Hill (17-4, 7-0) sitting on a two-game lead in the league standings, the following is not good news: Pitcher Mark Madsen threw three effective innings, striking out four and allowing one unearned run in a 9-3 victory over Highland on Tuesday. Madsen, whose fastball has been clocked in the upper-80-mph range, had been sidelined since March 23 because of a bad back.

MARMONTE

Jack’s back. Thousand Oaks shortstop Jack Wilson, who had been sidelined because of severe fatigue the past two weeks, returned to the Lancer lineup Friday against Westlake. Wilson, who batted .581 last season and currently is hitting .375, exhibited symptoms of mononucleosis and last week was considered all but lost for the season by Coach Bill Sizemore. However, tests were negative and Wilson has regained strength. . . . Westlake’s 9-6 victory over Thousand Oaks on Friday pulled the Warriors even with the Lancers at 6-4 in the league standings. It also allowed Westlake to gain a game on Camarillo and Royal, both of which lost Friday. Westlake has won its first three games since interim Coach Chuck Berington replaced Dave Wilder on April 18. Against Thousand Oaks, the Warriors scored four runs in the top of the seventh--all with two out--to tie the score, 6-6. Westlake scored three runs in the top of the eighth to win. Twins Todd and Tyler Kostjuk of Westlake each had run-scoring singles. . . . Nathan Kaup and Rodell Desamparo of Camarillo still have not been thrown out trying to steal. Kaup, a senior who leads the Scorpions in nearly every offensive category, is 14 for 14 in steal attempts. Desamparo is 12 for 12. Camarillo has stolen 59 bases in 67 attempts. Among Kaup’s most impressive statistics is his .883 slugging percentage.

MISSION

Chaminade’s Gabe Crecion is perhaps the region’s best pitcher with a losing record. Crecion, who played tight end for the Eagles’ football team in the fall and was selected The Times’ All-Valley lineman of the year, is 1-2 with a 2.03 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 38 innings. Crecion said he hopes to play baseball at UCLA, which he will attend on a football scholarship. Crecion, a 6-foot-4 right-hander, throws hard and is durable; his numbers just haven’t reflected it. Last season, Crecion was 3-2 but had 57 strikeouts and a 2.64 ERA in 50 1/3 innings. Crecion leads Chaminade this season with a .464 batting average and six home runs. . . . Crespi’s Brian Luderer, who moved from shortstop to catcher this season and has signed with Oklahoma, has struck out only once in 66 at-bats. Luderer, an All-Southern Section selection last season, is batting .424 and leads the Celts with 31 RBIs. . . . Count on John Campanella of Crespi to take one for the team. Campanella has been hit by a pitch 10 times this season. He is batting .356. . . . Adam Boyd of Notre Dame, projected to be the Knights’ top wide receiver next fall after playing second fiddle to Troy Garner last season, leads Notre Dame with 11 stolen bases in 13 attempts. . . . Harvard-Westlake Coach Norm Greenbaum, whose team is 1-20 and 0-11 in league play, said he is undecided about whether he will return next season, contrary to a published report that speculated otherwise. The Wolverines have a team batting average of .195 and eight players are batting below .200. Peter Richards leads Harvard-Westlake with a .220 average. Said Greenbaum: “We’re having a crummy year.”

PACIFIC

The future is now for Hoover. The Tornadoes have three underclassmen starting in the infield and another at catcher. They include sophomore third baseman Mark Hull, sophomore second baseman Brandon O’Brien and freshman shortstop Brandon Bell, who is batting .333. Sophomore Tony Avila is the catcher. “The future looks bright for us,” Hoover Coach Jim Delzell said.

TRI-VALLEY

Fillmore continued to slump Tuesday, losing to lowly Bishop Diego and handing the Cardinals only their second league victory. That loss, combined with a victory by Oak Park over Carpinteria, gave Oak Park the league title.

Softball Notes

City Section

VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE

Mid-Valley League--Despite a lackluster performance against its 3-A Division counterparts in the East Valley League, Sylmar (6-4 in conference play) finished in a three-way tie for first place with Reseda and Monroe (both 8-2). The teams each finished 4-2 against 4-A league opponents and decided the champion would be based on league record only. It is the seventh league title in nine years for Coach Chuck Miller and it took an improbable 13-5 victory over Reseda on Tuesday to pull it off. “Everything worked,” Miller said. “We slapped, we dragged, we squeezed and the defense didn’t let up.” And once again, it was a bribe by Miller that inspired the troops. “This one cost me a [Burger King] Whopper party,” he said. . . . Reseda catcher Jenae Brown went seven for 11 in three games last week. . . . Monroe ripped up three of the best teams in the conference last week to claim a share of the league title. The Vikings annihilated Van Nuys, 17-0, in a makeup game, shut out Reseda, 3-0, a day later and then whipped Sylmar, 10-3. With their 12-0 victory over Canoga Park Tuesday, it is clear that Monroe has momentum heading into the playoffs. . . . Opposing coaches agree that Canoga Park was much improved despite the Hunters’ disappointing 2-14 finish. Unfortunately, the Hunters’ improvement did not translate into more victories: They won only half as many games as last season.

East Valley League--What a turnaround for the Van Nuys program. The Wolves won only one of 15 games last season and finished with the worst record in conference play at 1-9, but Van Nuys clinched the league title by two games Tuesday with 22-8 victory over Grant and will head into postseason play at 11-6. . . . North Hollywood’s Tashean Thomas went six for nine and scored four runs last week.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

North Valley League--Kennedy finished the conference season undefeated and gave up one run in six league games. “It would have been a great accomplishment to shut out the league but winning is still pretty good,” Golden Cougar Coach Lee Holden said. Cynthia Barraza, Kennedy’s top reserve, will miss the next two weeks, meaning most of the playoffs, after suffering a severe cut on her hand. The Golden Cougars are expected to be the top-seeded team in the City 4-A playoffs, which begin Tuesday. Besides El Camino Real, stiff competition is expected from defending champion San Pedro and Carson. . . . Granada Hills Coach Carolyn Gunny rested pitcher Jessica Creith during the Thousand Oaks tournament and conference victories over Taft and San Fernando last week. While Creith played the field, Amy Matthews went 2-2 over the four-game stretch.

West Valley League--After a slow conference start, Chatsworth rallied to finish 6-4 in conference play after first-year Coach Andrea Rochetti switched pitcher Parisa Plant back to shortstop, her natural position. Freshman Lisa Pink has started the Chancellors’ last six games.

Southern Section

CHANNEL

Ventura pitcher Crystal Gravelin has pitched all but 2 1/3 innings of her team’s season so far, 152 1/3 in all. “For a freshman she’s had a tremendous season,” Coach Felix Cortez said. “But it’s kind of frustrating to have only one quality pitcher at a school our size.” In an effort to remain healthy, Gravelin (5-16) rarely pitches between starts. Other Cougar standouts include junior outfielder Amanda Menez, junior third baseman Camille Minkel and sophomore utility player Julie Essary. Through Monday, Essary had started every league game, playing at second, shortstop and all three outfield positions while handling 30 chances without an error. Ventura has lost four league games by a run but is 2-0 in extra-inning games, victories over Ridgecrest Burroughs and Oxnard. . . . Buena Coach Peter Shedlosky, whose team has survived parental discontent and an exodus of players, said Athletic Director Joe Vaughan has been supportive. Shedlosky’s standing wasn’t hurt when the Bulldogs knocked off Hart and Newbury Park last weekend in the Thousand Oaks tournament. Against Hart, senior shortstop Robyn Reida had a single, a double, a triple and four RBIs and was pulled before she could bat in the seventh. In the next game, Reida was twice walked intentionally by Newbury Park. “They were playing on the field next to us during the Hart game and they finished early so I’m sure they got a look at her,” Shedlosky said of Reida, who has signed to play at Toledo. Although Newbury Park was missing seven starters, Shedlosky had little sympathy. “I was missing my leadoff hitter and my No. 3 hitter,” Shedlosky said, referring to April Miller and Robyn Peet. “They said they were playing a lot of freshmen and sophomores, but besides Reida that’s all I had on my team.”

FOOTHILL

Saugus’ Nicole Giordano, the area Southern Section leader in batting average (.483) and stolen bases (29), takes a relaxed approach to the game. “I play it for fun,” she said. “I’m not the total serious type.” Giordano is the catalyst of the Centurions, currently No. 3 in The Times’ area poll, but they won’t go far in the playoffs without good performances from pitcher Jamie Gillies and third baseman Chris Gill, both former Times’ All-Valley players. Gillies has an 0.68 ERA, but Gill is off to a slow start. “Jamie’s learning when to pick it up,” Giordano said. The two-time defending league champions have made surprisingly early exits in the playoffs the past two seasons. Giordano is determined to go all the way this year, saying, “I believe with all my heart that we’ll do it.” . . . Canyon, at 1-6 in league play, did not have much to cheer about until Tuesday when Danielle Cooper’s performance led to the Cowboys’ first victory, 6-4, over Valencia. Cooper had two triples and a double.

FRONTIER

Calabasas pitcher Christy Culver, who walked off the field in tears during the middle of the Coyotes’ 4-0 loss to Santa Paula on April 22, has been suspended for the remainder of the season by Coach Debbie Thomas. Thomas said she turned down a request by Culver to practice with the team. Culver is one of several Calabasas players not to finish the season. Sisters Jennifer Goodeliunas, an infielder and the team’s lone senior, and Robin Goodeliunas, a junior catcher, were declared academically ineligible two weeks ago. . . . Moorpark pitcher Erin Heinbechner (12-4) overcame a groin injury to beat Calabasas with a one-hitter Tuesday and give the Musketeers at least a share of the league title. It was Heinbechner’s seventh shutout in 11 league starts.

GOLDEN

Highland batters have plenty of time on the bases but not enough time crossing home plate. The Bulldogs, in one 12-game stretch, stranded 100 runners--an average of 8.3 a game. . . . Highland upset first-place Quartz Hill, 5-4, on Tuesday. Before that, Highland pitcher Kristi Globig, a four-year standout, had lost her job as starting pitcher to Michelle Wintermute. “She’s been an intimidating factor in this league for three years,” Highland Coach Glenda Potts said. “But the kids aren’t intimidated anymore and they are swinging on her.” Globig (4-3) earned the victory against Quartz Hill, however, throwing four innings of one-hit relief. . . . Quartz Hill freshman Jodi Cox leads area players with nine doubles. Said Rebel Coach Coy Ray: “I have never had a team with nine triples in my nine years of coaching here.” Cox entered the week batting .667 with runners in scoring position.

HIGH DESERT

Pitcher Vicki McKay and Paraclete are beginning to earn respect. The Spirits won the 16-team Desert Diamond Classic last weekend. McKay (13-2), who threw a perfect game the previous week, shut out Notre Dame, 3-0, in the championship game. Paraclete is 17-3.

MARMONTE

Jennifer Sharron of Thousand Oaks had the kind of week last week that some pitchers don’t have in an entire season. And she could use a break. The junior left-hander threw 60 innings over an eight-day period last week. She allowed 25 hits and struck out 68. Sharron is leading the league with 217 strikeouts in 176 innings. . . . Suddenly, Westlake is playing up to its potential, despite the errors. With long-shot odds to gain a playoff berth, the Warriors have won their last four games heading into today’s game against Newbury Park. Senior left-hander Kelly DeArman, who has signed with Nevada Las Vegas, shut out Simi Valley and St. Joseph and struck out 21 in the Thousand Oaks tournament over the weekend, and Coach Beth Calcante thought she might have seen a ghost. “Kelly was throwing like she did last year,” Calcante said. “That’s the Kelly I want to see for the rest of the year.”. . . . How’s this for dominance? Camarillo’s team ERA is 0.20, which is lower than any single pitcher in the league. The Scorpions, ranked No. 9 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports, had given up only two runs in 131 innings before Newbury Park scored in the third inning Tuesday. That same inning, Cindy Ball had her streak of scoreless innings snapped at 63, which was 12 innings shy of a school record set by Laura Richardson in 1993.

MISSION

Freshman Maureen LeCocq of Chaminade continues to emerge as the pitcher of the future for the Eagles. LeCocq improved to 7-4 with three victories last week and lowered her staff-best ERA to 0.69 in 71 innings. LeCocq had 21 strikeouts in two league games last week to raise her season total to 73. LeCocq also leads Chaminade with 21 hits and a .313 batting average. Karen Knokey of Chaminade had three triples last week. . . . Sophomore Stefanie Urman has thrown every pitch for Louisville this season, a total of 102 innings.

PACIFIC

Hoover will play at Crescenta Valley today at Montrose Park with a share of first place at stake. Crescenta Valley (17-6, 6-2 in league play), defending league champion, is tied for first with Arcadia and one game ahead of Hoover (15-8, 5-2). Hoover defeated Crescenta Valley two weeks ago. . . . Glendale has 12 triples this season, four by Jennifer Gomez.

TRI-VALLEY

Improved St. Bonaventure is still finding it difficult to finish higher than fourth in the six-team league and Coach Craig Thompson has three reasons: senior pitchers Jennifer Baltruzak (La Reina), Nicole Ortiz (Fillmore) and Kaylen Boldroff (Oak Park). “I can’t wait until they graduate,” Thompson said. The Seraphs got a strong dose of Boldroff last week, losing, 4-0, in nine innings. All four runs were unearned and Boldroff was overpowering. Said Thompson: “She paints the outside corner and then busts the ball inside on the hitters’ hands when they move up on the plate. They tell me, ‘But Coach, the ball’s outside,’ and I tell them, ‘It can’t be too far outside because the umpire’s rung up 13 of you!’ ”

Golf Notes

Hart tied a school record by shooting a 312 at Vista Valencia last week. Carlos Robledo shot an even-par 61 and the remaining four combined to shoot seven over. “We had to throw out a 64,” Indian Coach Dennis Ford said. “And that’s a pretty good score.” They shot a 316 at the same course the next day, giving themselves momentum heading into the Foothill League championships today at Harding Golf Course in Griffith Park.

Swimming Notes

Southern Section--The Foothill League finals are today at Valley College, with Hart heavily favored in the girls’ meet and a tight battle expected between the Indians and Burbank in the boys’ meet. . . . Calabasas is a heavy favorite in the Frontier League finals at Carpinteria today. . . . Buena, behind Erin Schatz, Rebecca Gilman and Nicole Beck, should overwhelm the Channel League girls’ finals Friday at Ventura High. The Bulldogs should compete with Santa Barbara for the boys’ title. But Buena should pile up points in the diving finals Thursday at Ventura. Brothers Justin, Troy and Bryce Dumais are far ahead of the competition. Justin and Troy finished first and second in the Southern Section championships last year. . . . Westlake is a favorite in both the boys’ and girls’ Marmonte League finals Friday at Rancho Simi Community Pool. . . . The Mission League finals are Friday at Valley College.

Volleyball Notes

Southern Section--Members of the Southern California Volleyball Officials Assn. have decided against a job action during the boys’ playoffs. SCVOA administrators were satified with proposed wages for next season, which did not show what they expected--a decrease in pay.

Contributing: Mike Bresnahan, Dana Haddad, Vince Kowalick, Michael Lazarus, Paige A. Leech, Tris Wykes, Peter Yoon.