BATTING CAGES A DRIVE AWAY.

Byline: GERRY GITTELSON Community Sports

Line Drive, the largest indoor baseball/softball hitting facility in the nation, opened last month in Valencia, and the business is steadily growing according to owner Bret Barberie, a 35-year-old former major-league baseball player with the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins.

Line Drive, at 23460 Cinema Drive where the Q-ZAR laser tag center used to be, features 12 hitting machines ranging from 40 mph to 80 mph.

``I've wanted to do something like this for a long time. It's always been a dream of mine, so I took a chance,'' Barberie said. ``I saw the need for a training facility and place for kids to hit because there are so many teams and it's so competitive. Most teams are always using up the fields.''

Fellow former major leaguers Mark Gubicza and Dennis Moeller have signed on as private instructors, along with Olympic softball player Crystl Bustos and Team USA member Nicole Giordano.

One advantage Line Drive has over most batting facilities is the use of realistic, red-seamed balls instead of the usual cheesy yellow balls at other sites.

``Our balls look much more realistic,'' Barberie said.

Plus, plans are in place to install a custom pitching machine that throws fastballs, curves and sliders - either in sequence or not in sequence depending on the setting.

``It'll be just like hitting off a real pitcher. It's a really neat machine,'' Barberie said.

Line Drive is open noon to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Customers can rent machines for as little as $9 for 10 minutes, and there are various deals that can save patrons money depending on how much time they buy.

But Barberie swears his business isn't about the bottom line.

``It's really a challenge doing some like this, but I'm having a lot of fun,'' he said. ``I'm able to do something I like to do, and there's no better feeling than helping kids get to the next level and accomplish their dreams. Aside from the lessons, if someone is struggling, I'll always help them out.

``When I was a kid and went to the batting cages, they just took my money and nobody wanted to help. I'm here to help. Customer service is the key to this business.''

--Bowling for dollars: The Saugus girls' softball team participates in a fund-raising bowlathon event next month at Santa Clarita Lanes bowling alley in Saugus. Players from the varsity, JV and frosh teams all bowl three games to earn money based on sponsor donations for each pin.

``It's a lot of fun and lets the teams get together under different circumstances, which is nice,'' Santa Clarita Lanes manager Tom Cristi said. ``All four area high schools come here every year to do it.

--Add bowling: Santa Clarita Lanes continues to host Thunder Alley, which involves bowling under cosmic lights with music blaring in a party atmosphere.

Thunder Alley runs from 9 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays. There also is a bimonthly Thunder Alley for children, scheduled next Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

``Everyone loves Thunder Alley because if they're not good bowlers it doesn't matter, because no one looks at your score,'' Cristi said. ``It takes that element out of the game.''