WALDEN IS 'GRAND' ROYAL SLUGGER HAS PAIR OF SLAMS, 12 RBI IN ONE GAME.

Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Special to the Daily News

Nearly every baseball player, young or old, envisions hitting a grand slam at some point during his career. But two in one game?

Kenny Walden has done it. The Royal High junior-to-be hit two grand slams and drove in 12 runs less than two weeks ago in a 20-3 victory over Westlake in a Valley Invitational Baseball League game.

``That was my first-ever grand slam. Guess it was my first two,'' Walden said. ``It was crazy. I don't play for the glory of grand slams, though. If we would have lost the game, it wouldn't have meant as much.''

Walden hit a grand slam in his first at-bat, doubled to score two runs in his second plate appearance, had a two-run single the third time around before popping out in his fourth at-bat. He finished the day with another bases-loaded homer.

``The whole bench was involved. Everyone was standing in the dugout every time he came up to the plate,'' Royal coach Dan Maye said. ``He had our attention. I know I've never seen anything like that before.''

Royal (9-5) opened VIBL play by winning seven of its first nine games before dropping its last three. While the team has been inconsistent as of late, Walden has been a pillar of stability. The free-swinging left- handed batter is hitting close to .500 through 14 games.

Despite his recent hot streak at the plate, questions remain regarding Walden's game.

Can he parlay his breakout game into a full-time job with the varsity team after playing the past two seasons on the junior-varsity and freshman levels?

Can he overcome an asthma condition he has dealt with since he was a youngster, as well as a respiratory problem that forced him to miss a majority of Royal's games last season?

``The doctors haven't put any limitations on him,'' Walden's mother, Carole, said.

Judging by the numbers he's put up lately, Walden appears to be fine. The 5-foot-10, 225-pounder participated in most of the team's drills during practices this summer.

``We're giving him a chance,'' Maye said. ``If you want to play with the big boys, you have to swing your way onto the team. Kenny is doing that right now.''

Walden's emergence is a welcome sight for a Royal team that lost nearly every key member of last season's Marmonte League championship team to graduation, including three of the program's best players in recent history.

Gone are captain Phil Boscarino (.451 batting average, six home runs, 19 RBI, 36 runs), UC Irvine-bound D.J. Smith (.438, .855 slugging percentage, seven HRs, 37 RBI) and UC Santa Barbara-bound pitcher Clayton Edwards (10-1, sub-3.00 ERA, hitting .345 with four homers, 18 RBI).

``We lost some sticks,'' Maye said. ``You can't replace the big three. They were our backbone.''

Maye hopes players such as Walden and returners Kevin Harrington, Grady Inhat and Kyle Wilkerson will step up.

``We're looking for hitters,'' Maye said. ``The players know that if they can hit, we'll find a spot for them in the lineup.''

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(ran in Simi edition only) Royal High School's Kenny Walden hit two grand slams and had 12 RBI in a recent summer league game.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer