Valhalla Pulls Off Upset

Two Valhalla High baseball players crossed home plate minutes before the rain, enabling the 10th-ranked Norsemen to escape with a 2-1 upset of No. 4 Mt. Carmel in an Orange Sporting Goods Warhawk Classic game Wednesday at Valhalla.

After a 30-minute rain delay, the game was called with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Valhalla (6-2) had scored both its runs with no outs in the inning.

Sophomore Courtney Arrollado led off a home run. Pitcher Ray Neder then singled, advanced to second on a throwing error and to third on a wild pitch. First baseman Greg Woodard drove him home with a single up the middle.

Neder (1-2) threw a one-hitter, the only tally being a home run by Mt. Carmel catcher Matt Miller in the second inning. Mt. Carmel fell to 5-2-1.

In other Warhawk games:

Serra 6, Sweetwater 4--Jim Lafferty improved to 3-0 with his third complete game. He allowed six hits in six innings as the game was called in the seventh because of rain. Justin Wible had two RBIs in a six-run fourth for the Conquistadors (6-1-1).

Catcher Jeff Chamberlain threw out three would-be base stealers, including one for the final out of the game. Sweetwater fell to 3-2-1.

Castle Park 9, Patrick Henry 2--Catcher Kiko Palacios went three for three with three RBIs and first baseman Vic Ryan two for two with two RBIs to lead Castle Park (4-3). Also for the Trojans, shortstop Alex Ruvalcaba had a home run, Benji Gil (1-2) struck out eight and allowed four hits in five innings and Mark Vega pitched two no-hit innings to earn his first save.

Postponed--Six other Warhawk games, including the championship between Mira Mesa and Santana, were postponed because of rain.

Mira Mesa and Santana will meet Monday at 6 p.m. at San Diego State’s Smith Field for the championship.