CITY SHOWCASE: KENNEDY-POLY : PARROTS SURVIVE RIGHT-FIELD DRIVE THIS TIME AROUND POLY 6, CHATSWORTH 4.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

As the ball sailed through the air, Poly High School baseball coach Chuck Schwal knew this would be the defining moment of his team's season. It was the bottom of the seventh inning and Chatsworth's David Sark hit a shot to infamous right field.

A brisk wind, Adrian Perez's glove and a huge draft of good luck kept the ball in the park and sent Poly to Dodger Stadium to face Kennedy. Perez's catch at the wall preserved a 6-4 Poly victory on Tuesday at Pierce College, sending the Parrots to their first City Section 4-A title game in four years.

``I thought it was gone,'' said Schwal, whose team was eliminated last season on a controversial right-field catch against El Camino Real. ``Until Perez caught it, I was convinced it was out.''

A homer would have only tied the game, because Poly (27-5-1) took a 6-3 lead with two key runs in the sixth. Gustavo Banuelos, who relieved Poly starter Jerry Heredia in the fourth inning, was working on a gem.

After Joe Tillmon struck out to lead off the seventh, Danny Phillips crushed a fastball over the left-field fence to make it 6-4. Frank DiPoma then doubled with two outs, leaving the game up to Sark. Sark hit a long fly to the wall and with the entire capacity crowd - many of whom just arrived from the El Camino Real-Kennedy game - holding its breath, Perez reached as high as he could and caught it against the wall.

``I thought it had a chance,'' a disappointed Chatsworth coach Tom Meusborn said.

Meusborn chose to start Stuart Sellz, a sidearmer who never was able to get consistent outs. Steve Guerrero tripled in Lucas LaTouf in the first inning and Alfredo Flores singled in Guerrero for a 2-0 Poly lead.

Chatsworth (22-7) responded with RBI singles by Greg Wold and DiPoma in the bottom of the first to tie the game. However, Sellz (5-2) hit Ruben Lopez in the second and allowed a single to LaTouf, and Meusborn replaced him with Andrew Silver. A fielder's choice by Guerrero and a Perez double made it 4-2.

``Andrew gave us a chance to win the game,'' Meusborn said. ``That's all we could have asked of him.''

Heredia began getting behind in counts and Schwal pulled him in favor of Banuelos. The junior pitched 3-2/3 innings, allowing just one run and striking out six, improving his record to 5-0.

``I had no idea I would pitch so early,'' Banuelos said. ``I wasn't nervous at all. I just threw strikes. I never knew it would feel this good.''

LaTouf's ability to get on base was the game's biggest factor. LaTouf (three hits, three runs) led off with a double in the sixth and scored on Perez's fielder's choice. Next, Abel Salazar hit into a double play, but it was good enough to score Travis McGivern for a huge three-run advantage.

After that, Schwal put the ball in Banuelos' hands.

``I was going to live or die with Banuelos,'' Schwal said. ``He's been my man all year.''

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Photo

Photo: (color) Steve Guerrero of Poly slides headfirst into third base for an RBI triple in the first inning as Chatsworth's Danny Phillips waits for the throw.

Terri Thuente / Daily News