Still no clear-cut favorite in the West Valley League

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There’s no such thing as a ‘gimme’ when it comes to West Valley League baseball. Halfway through the season, no team has established itself as the clear-cut favorite.

Two of Friday’s games were clear examples of what we can expect the rest of the way. First, defending City champion Chatsworth escaped with a 2-1 victory at Birmingham, thanks to a pinch-hit single by Derek Neely that drove home the decisive run in the fourth inning. However, that nailbiter paled in comparison to El Camino Real’s 6-5 comeback against Taft.

The Conquistadores trailed with two outs in the bottom of the seventh when Alex Mejia’s hit tied the score. Zander De Leon followed with the game-winning hit to keep El Camino Real in third place with a 4-2 league mark.

The only game that lacked drama was Cleveland‘s 9-2 victory over last-place Granada Hills, in which John Wilson pitched a two-hitter for the Cavaliers, who kept pace with Chatsworth atop the standings at 5-1. Birmingham and Taft are tied for fourth at 2-4.

Chatsworth and Cleveland play twice next week and a sweep by either would be huge -- especially for the Chancellors, who beat Cleveland in the Easton tournament on March 6.

Taft’s surprising start is another indication of the league’s strength. The Toreadors finished dead last with a 2-13 record last spring but have already beaten Chatsworth and Cleveland this season.

-- Steve Galluzzo

-- Image from www.wfcofm.com