Kennedy Quiets San Fernando

GRANADA HILLS — For six innings, seniors Isaac Montes and Tim St. Pierre of Kennedy High were being taunted by San Fernando alumni who seemed determined to try out their best material from Ragging 101 while standing down the first-base line.

Montes and St. Pierre did what they’ve always been taught to do--retaliate with their bats, not their mouths.

Montes hit a two-run single in the seventh inning to send the game into extra innings, and St. Pierre contributed a run-scoring single in the ninth to give Kennedy a 5-4 victory and create a three-way tie for first place in the Valley Mission League.

With five games to play, Kennedy (16-9, 8-2 in league play), San Fernando (19-6, 8-2) and Sylmar (16-5, 8-2) are deadlocked.

Nothing figures to be decided until the May 14 regular-season finale between Kennedy and San Fernando under the lights at Birmingham.

“It’s like we’re starting the season all over again,” Coach Manny Alvarado of Kennedy said.

Opponents need to start worrying about Kennedy, because based on his impressive five-inning relief stint against San Fernando, All-City pitcher Adam Geery is healthy again.

“I’m back,” said Geery (3-0), who struck out seven, walked none and allowed two hits in his longest outing in more than a month since returning from an injury.

“I felt my curveball was exploding out of my hand and I had a little speed on my fastball.”

With Geery unavailable for mound duty, Kennedy went into a tailspin. The Golden Cougars were swept by Sylmar during the opening week of league play and have been trying to recover ever since.

Their sweep of San Fernando this week could be a turning point.

The Tigers held a 4-1 lead going into the seventh and had tiring ace Abraham Gonzalez on the mound.

With one out, Danny Mata and Chris Schreiber drew walks on 3-and-2 counts. Kevin Hubbard hit a run-scoring double and Montes followed with his two-run single to tie the score.

In the ninth, Hubbard walked with one out against pitcher Ben Sahagun. Montes was hit by a pitch on an 0-and-2 count. Miguel Gonzalez replaced Sahagun. Up came St. Pierre, who had struck out three times. On an 0-and-2 pitch, he singled to quiet his San Fernando hecklers.

“I think it’s funny,” he said. “They like to say a lot of stuff but leave before the outcome of the game.”

Added Alvarado: “Whatever they’re doing to our players, keep doing it.”