SO. SECTION DIV. VI BASEBALL: C.H. IN FIRST FINAL.

Byline: Justin Frank Staff Writer

Campbell Hall of North Hollywood pitcher Ruben Munoz did not let his team's slow offensive start in Tuesday's Southern Section Div. VI semifinal affect his effort on the mound.

Trailing by one run most of the way against unseeded Big Bear of Sugarloaf, the Vikings used a four-run sixth inning to advance to the final for the first time in program history, pulling out a 4-1 victory at Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa.

Campbell Hall (20-6) moves on to play Mojave, a 1-0 winner over Vasquez of Acton, Thursday at UC Riverside.

``I knew we would start slow,'' said Munoz, a senior right-hander. ``But I knew once we figured their pitcher out, we would come through.''

With Big Bear (15-12) clinging to a 1-0 lead, courtesy of an Randy Garcia's first-inning RBI single, things began to look eerily similar to the Vikings' 1-0 quarterfinal loss last season to Montclair Prep of Panorama City.

``Losing 1-0 two years in a row would have been devastating,'' Campbell Hall coach Juan Velasquez said.

Things turned around in the sixth. After Munoz doubled and Sam Weinberger received his third intentional walk of the game, Ben Schwartz laid down a bunt, which he beat out for a single.

Schwartz collided with Garcia, who was trying to catch shortstop Scott Procter's errant throw, and that which allowed Munoz (2 for 3) and Weinberger to score, giving Campbell Hall a 2-1 lead. Schwartz was carried of the field with an apparent foot injury.

Greg Zebreck's two-run homer to left-center extended the lead.

Munoz tossed a three-hitter, striking out seven and retiring the last 11 batters he faced.

``I have not pitched a game like this since I was a 6-year-old and in Little League,'' he said.

Said Velasquez: ``We just try to win innings. They won the first, then we stayed tight, then we really took the sixth inning and the game.''

Justin Frank, [phone]

justindestructable(at)yahoo.com