Brenner strikes out four and Olsen follows with two scoreless
Aaron Brenner struck out four in the first two innings and Grant Olsen followed with two scoreless, keeping Granada Hills to two runs through six. Eight Valencia pitchers worked the nine innings and struck out 12 between them, matching the eight Granada Hills arms who did the same to Valencia. Chase Costella, Eric Patterson and Tyler Gontmaher each turned in a scoreless inning of their own, and Gontmaher's was the first of his career.
A three-run homer in the seventh broke it open, and Valencia answered in the bottom half. Kellan Laroe was hit by a pitch and scored when Jackson Wertz's single was misplayed at third, and Wertz came home on a passed ball. Laroe, Wertz, Landon Page and Brenner had the four hits off a staff that gave up nothing else all morning, and Taye Park, Dominik Tapia and Gontmaher each stole a base.
The defense closed with a double play in each of the last two innings, Costella to Caleb Cook in the eighth and Augie Johnson to Laroe in the ninth. Granada Hills won 6-2 on the JV Field.