ECR FINDS HR HEAVEN BLASTS VS. SAN FERNANDO CLEAR PATH TO SEMISFINALS ECR 10, S. FERNANDO 0.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

The bitter memory that has eaten away at El Camino Real of Woodland Hills baseball standout Chad Boyd over the past year was finally laid to rest Wednesday.

As a result, El Camino Real is back in the City Championship semifinals after a convincing 10-0 quarterfinal victory over visiting San Fernando in a game called on the 10-run mercy rule in the fifth inning.

Fittingly, it was Boyd who was most responsible for extinguishing any lingering reminders of the Conquistadores' loss to Carson in last year's quarterfinals.

Boyd took responsibility for that loss after getting picked off at third base with one out in the seventh inning of a tied game, ruining an opportunity for the Conquistadores to take the lead. Carson took advantage in the bottom of the inning by pushing across the winning run, ending El Camino Real's season.

On Wednesday, Boyd's towering three-run home run off San Fernando's Matt Nevarez in the fourth inning did much more than blow a close game wide open - it also cleared Boyd's conscience.

``It could not have felt any better,'' Boyd said.

The next two batters for ECR - Sammy Donabedian and J.P. Hollywood - followed with solo shots of their own off Nevarez and reliever Rene Garcia to make the score 9-0. A frustrated Garcia made sure Casey Greene never got the chance to make it four home runs in a row by drilling Greene in the back, prompting the home plate umpire to throw Garcia out of the game.

ECR (24-8) scored all seven runs in the fourth with two outs. San Fernando (14-17) missed a chance to end the inning when Ryan Richardson's hard grounder took a bad bounce on shortstop Edward Rodriguez, allowing Richardson to reach base safely.

In the dugout, Boyd was too lost in his own thoughts to even realize he'd started ECR's version of a home run derby.

``Honestly I didn't even know it because of all the other stuff going on,'' Boyd said. ``But obviously it was pretty key to the game.''

ECR pounded San Fernando for four home runs in all - Richardson got it started in the first inning with a leadoff home run - to give Jordan Brandt more then enough cushion to pitch free and easy.

Brandt was in control throughout, limiting the Tigers to just two hits.

``Seven runs, 10 runs, man it just makes it a whole lot easier to pitch,'' Brandt said. ``Especially with our defense making plays behind me. (Greene) made a great play at third. All I had to do was throw strikes.''

Vincent Bonsignore, [phone]

vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com

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An error by San Fernando's Edward Rodriguez was bad enough, but three consecutive ECR homers made things much worse.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer