LITTLE LEAGUE NOTEBOOK: WEST VALLEY'S ANDURAY FINALLY FINDS HIS SWING.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

Andrew Anduray, hitless in three previous Little League All-Star tournament games, waited nervously as the two hitters in front of him, Luis Perez and Lupe Jauregui, both were walked intentionally to load the bases.

``I'd been in a bad slump, so I thought I was gonna strike out,'' he said. ``I just kept telling myself to try to be strong.''

Strong he was. Anduray hit a two-run single to break open a tie game in the fifth inning, propelling West Valley to a 4-2 victory over Northridge in the District 40 baseball semifinals before an overflow crowd Saturday at Mission Hills Little League.

West Valley (4-0) can win the District tournament for the first time in the league's 51-year history with another victory at 5 p.m. Wednesday against either Northridge (4-1), Sherman Oaks (4-1) or Mission Hills (3-1). If the 11- and 12-year-olds lose on Wednesday, the teams play a rematch Thursday in the last game of the 13-team, double-elimination tournament. The Distict 40 winner advances to the five-team, double-elimination Section 2 tournament, starting Saturday at Scholl Canyon Park in Glendale.

``We got behind 2-0 and I told my kids, 'Two runs doesn't mean anything. Just keep playing hard and we'll come back,' '' said manager Lupe Anduray, Andrew's father. ``Every year we face a lot of competition, and Northridge is usually the team to beat. This is the farthest we've gone since 1950. We've never made the district finals.''

Eleven-year-old left-hander Brian Becker (2-0), West Valley's smallest player, went all six innings, allowing three hits with six strikeouts.

Mark Mastro of Northridge hit a home run and was robbed of another.

Meanwhile, West Valley is in prime position. Perez will pitch Wednesday and he's been the most dominant pitcher in the tournament with a 2-0 record, six strikeouts and three hits allowed in 12 innings.

Perez had 16 home runs during the regular season and one in District competition, during which most teams have been walking him intentionally.

--Cougars crawl back: Luis Tello singled in the go-ahead run and pitched the last five innings to propel the Glendale-based California Cougars to a 7-6, eight-inning victory over the Monterey Park Angels in the AABC 12-under state championship Sunday at Mira Loma Park near Riverside.

The Cougars, managed by Gus Covarrubias, advance to the National Championships in Las Cruces, N.M., starting next Tuesday.

Ricky Gutierrez hit two home runs and Butch Zakosek added another for the Cougars.

--Senior scene: Thousand Oaks Little League's 15- and 16-year-olds won the District 13 title with a 29-2 victory over Oxnard Sunset on July 8. Kyle Griffith, who leads the team with a .727 average in three games, was 4 for 5 with three RBI and a double. Jake Brin was 2 for 3 with four RBI, Cody Cipriano was 3 for 5 with five RBI, and Cory Goldman was 2 for 2 with five runs.

The team opens Sectional competition at 11 a.m. Saturday at Channel Islands High in Oxnard against an opponent to be determined.

--Valley Heat still hot: The Valley Heat, based in Chatsworth, competes in the nine-day USSA 14-under baseball World Series, starting on Saturday in Cincinnati.

Led by pitcher Trevor Bell of La Crescenta, the boys won the California state tournament in Riverside on Sunday.