BASEBALL: STANDOUT SLUGGER POWER HITTER VALAIKA CLOSES IN ON HART HOMER RECORD.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer NEWHALL - When you strike baseballs as hard as Hart baseball slugger Chris Valaika does, you strike fear. Valaika already has five home runs in 31 at-bats for the Indians (5-5, 2-2) entering today's Foothill League matchup against visiting Saugus (4-4-1, 1-2-1), and he's closing in on Hart's career home run record. He's also been walked 11 times, and now that every pitcher he'll face is familiar with him, it's doubtful Valaika will see many fat pitches from here on out. This is a slugger's season in the league with such power hitters as Valencia's Jared Clark and Matt Aidem, and Canyon's Clay Britton. But Valaika, who is batting .452 with a 1.065 slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is the most popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats: , 12 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in and team-high 17 runs, might just be in a class by himself. ``As a sophomore, Chris came right up and started for us on a nationally ranked team, and he's been a star for three years,'' Hart coach Jim Ozella said. ``By now everybody knows him, but he's still getting it done and dealing with all the pressure. He's just an outstanding kid and a hard worker.'' Valaika, who has 13 career home runs, needs six more - with 15 regular season games remaining, plus playoffs - to eclipse Matt Friedrichsen's school record of 18 (1998-2000). But the 6-foot shortstop would rather concentrate on team goals, not personal accomplishments, especially with Hart merely a .500 team after winning nine league titles over the past 11 years. ``I'm playing all right, but I'd like it if we had a better overall record,'' Valaika said. ``It's been tough, but I really think we're going to come together as a team. If we drop all the individual stuff, the only way we can go is up. My goals have nothing to do with home runs. I'm trying to keep the team motivated. If I can do something to start a rally, then that's great.'' Major-league scouts from the Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field. , Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Diamondback. The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of the National League. and Oakland Athletics “Philadelphia Athletics” redirects here. For other uses, see Philadelphia Athletics (disambiguation). The Oakland Athletics are a professional baseball team based in Oakland, California. have come to see Valaika play this season. But he has committed to UC Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. , and Ozella believes Valaika probably will honor the college scholarship even if he gets drafted. For Valaika, perhaps the future's most difficult aspect will be separating from his tight-knit family. He's the oldest of five children - three brothers and a sister - ranging from 7-year-old Nicky to Hart junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. shortstop Matt, 15. ``Actually, we're all shortstops,'' Valaika said. Little Nicky has formed a special bond with his oldest brother. ``Being a big brother is something I take very seriously,'' Valaika said. ``Nicky is like my little `Mini-Me.' He does everything I do and even wears the same jersey number as me. He comes to every one of my games. Even if has a game himself that day, he'll come just to be there for 15 minutes. ``Actually, I think Nicky is probably going to be the best baseball player out of all of us because he's grown up with the game.'' SOFTBALL softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' : Stepping up to challenge Sullivan comes through for Saugus as its No. 1 pitcher SAUGUS - This is finally Kyla Sullivan's season to prove herself as Saugus's full-time softball pitcher, and the junior right-hander is coming through admirably. An alternate starter her first two seasons, the carrot-topped Sullivan is 6-2 with an 0.80 ERA for Saugus (6-4) entering the Foothill League opener against Burbank (3-8) at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday at McCambridge Park in Burbank. She's coming off a three-hit shutout against Verdugo Hills of Tujunga last week. ``I have a lot of faith in Kyla. As long as we support her, she does the job,'' coach Rich Perez said. ``She's always going to be able to keep us in the ballgame, and she's doing a great job.'' Sullivan is one of seven underclassmen in the starting lineup For the line of action figures, see . A starting lineup in sports refers to the set of players actively participating in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes , as Saugus is one of the league's youngest teams. But as a three-year veteran and an experienced travel-ball player, Sullivan is a team leader whose sturdy determination and confidence should prove a rallying point Noun 1. rallying point - a point or principle on which scattered or opposing groups can come together point - a brief version of the essential meaning of something; "get to the point"; "he missed the point of the joke"; "life has lost its point" as Saugus hopes to contend with league favorites Valencia and Hart. ``We don't have as many seniors as we did last year, but actually it feels pretty much the same,'' Sullivan said. ``Overall, I'd say this group is pretty mature. Plus, we get along so much better than we did last year, and that's really important. You've got to have faith in your teammates.'' Sullivan has no problem pitching every game. It's a situation she's looked forward to since the beginning of her career. ``It makes me feel good that Coach Perez trusts me. That gives me a lot of confidence,'' she said. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if I'm going to pitch all 10 league games, but I'm ready I'm Ready is the double platinum second release from R&B singer Tevin Campbell. I'm Ready yielded the biggest R&B hit of his career the #1 R&B smash "Can We Talk", and produce 3 more successful hits in "I'm Ready", "Always In My Heart" and "Don't Say Goodbye Girl". to do anything.'' Sullivan eventually hopes to land a Division I softball scholarship. In fact, she has no other plans. ``Basically, softball is my life,'' Sullivan said. That makes sense to her mother, Peggy Sullivan, who said her daughter has been hooked on the game since she was 4. ``Kyla really loves softball,'' she said. ``Sometimes, with all the traveling over the summer, I ask her, `Do you really want to do this?' Well, she does.'' LOOK BACK Scott Academy won its first softball game in school history by defeating Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Christian 39-13 last Friday in Lancaster. The game lasted just 1 1/2 innings INNINGS, estates. Lands gained from the sea by draining. Cunn. L. Dict. h. t.; Law of Sewers, 31. before Antelope Valley Christian's coach elected not to continue - despite the fact A.V. Christian had scored 13 runs in the bottom of the first. ``I couldn't believe it. I thought A.V. Christian should have at least taken their last ups,'' Scott Academy assistant coach Ronald Eichler said. Scott Academy (1-6) sent 26 batters to the plate in the top of first for a 23-run lead. Shaday Garcia finished 4 for 4 with a home run and seven RBI. ... Hart's softball team defeated Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. 1-0 Friday for its fourth consecutive Hart Classic tournament championship. ... Matt Aidem doubled in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to lift Valencia to a 4-3 baseball victory over Hart on Friday. Aidem then pitched five strong innings to defeat Burroughs of Burbank 8-4 on Tuesday, improving his pitching record to 4-0 - best in the Foothill League. ... After breaking a 31-game league losing streak with two league victories to start the season, Burbank's baseball team lost two in a row, including a 10-3 defeat at Hart on Tuesday. ... Coming off a disheartening dis·heart·en tr.v. dis·heart·ened, dis·heart·en·ing, dis·heart·ens To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit. See Synonyms at discourage. last-inning loss to Harvard-Westlake of Studio City on Saturday, slumping Saugus rebounded by defeating first-place Canyon 7-6 on Tuesday for its first league victory, as Jeff Knosp bunted in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Hot-hitting Clay Britton of Canyon hit two home runs against Saugus to give him three over the past three games. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 8 boxes Photo: (1) Hart shortstop Chris Valaika is five home runs away from tying the career school record. David Crane/Staff Photographer (2) After sharing duties for two seasons, Saugus' Kyla Sullivan has inherited the full-time job and is 6-2. Michael Owen
Box: (1) TIME OUT (2) GOING, GOING, GONE (3) COMING UP (4) BASEBALL GAME Noun 1. baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League OF THE WEEK: Valencia at Canyon, 3:15 p.m., Tuesday (5) SOFTBALL GAME OF THE WEEK: Hart at Valencia, 3:15 p.m., Tuesday (6) LOOK BACK (see text) (7) STANDINGS: BASEBALL (8) STANDINGS: SOFTBALL |
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