Kennedy shuts out Chatsworth

If Chatsworth High Coach Tom Meusborn and Granada Hills Kennedy Coach Manny Alvarado had each shown up to Wednesday’s baseball game at USC wearing the Los Angeles City Section championship rings they’d won over the last 20 years, they would have needed a security guard to escort them home.

Meusborn’s teams have delivered eight City titles. Alvarado’s teams have brought home five. So understand the tradition of excellence players are expected to live up to when they put on the brown Golden Cougars jersey or the orange Chatsworth jersey.

On this night, it was a near-flawless pitching performance from junior right-hander Ryan Cruz that lifted the Golden Cougars to a 3-0 win over Chatsworth.

The 6-foot-3 Cruz retired the final 12 batters. The Chancellors never got the ball out of the infield in the final three innings. He gave up two hits, struck out eight and walked two.

Cruz has shown in this opening month of the season he’s a legitimate ace, having beaten not only the West Valley League power Chancellors (4-2), ranked No. 9 by The Times, but also the other top team from the West Valley, Woodland Hills El Camino Real. And, with Kennedy’s No. 2 pitcher, Lenny Diaz, having shut out Canyon Country Canyon last week, the Golden Cougars just might have marked themselves as the City title favorites.

Last season as a sophomore, Cruz was Kennedy’s No. 1 pitcher. But he struggled at times.

“We tried to move him too fast,” Alvarado said. “By necessity, we had to make him our ace. Physically, he was ready but emotionally he wasn’t. He’s there now.”

Said Cruz: “I would get nervous. I definitely have more experience. You have to have confidence in your fielders, and I pitched with confidence.”

Kennedy’s fielders were equally flawless. Senior shortstop Kevin Rayas was kept busy and responded by starting a double play while contributing three assists and one putout.

Kennedy (3-3) came out focused and sharp, getting run-scoring doubles in the first inning from sophomore Chris Mallon and senior Robert Gonzalez against Christian Lopez (2-1).

Chatsworth gets a return engagement to USC on Thursday with a nonleague game against highly ranked Southern Section Division 4 power La Puente Bishop Amat at 6 p.m.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com