Diaz, Poly Stand Up to Kennedy, 1-0

The Kennedy High baseball team was two for three in terms of toppling all things baseball on Thursday, which wasn’t quite good enough.

Golden Cougar players first turned a couple of dugout benches upside-down before their City Section 4-A Division quarterfinal game to ensure that everybody stood throughout the game.

Catcher David Bourne later accidentally flipped Coach Manny Alvarado during infield warm-ups and both ended up in a heap near home plate.

But Kennedy could not upend top-seeded Poly. Behind a four-hitter by right-hander Eric Diaz, Poly held off Kennedy in a 1-0 nail biter before a standing-room-only crowd at Poly.

Poly (20-4) advances to Monday’s semifinal round and will face Chatsworth, a 7-4 winner over Venice on Thursday.

Reeling off one curve after another, Diaz (9-2) baffled Kennedy. He threw nary a fastball and relied on his three varieties of off-speed fare.

“Mostly a lotta curves,� Diaz said by way of explanation. “I couldn’t count on the fastball today.�

Kennedy, seemingly down for the count, mounted a threat in the seventh that had Diaz breaking a sweat for one of the few times in the game. After Diaz had given up only one hit from the second through sixth innings, Rick Nadeau climbed out of an 0-and-2 hole and lined a one-out single to left.

Jason Makohon followed by hitting into a force play and was replaced by pinch-runner Pablo Perez, who swiped second on Diaz’s first offering to No. 6 hitter John Toven. Diaz jumped ahead of Toven, 1-and-2, then recorded his seventh strikeout, on a pitch in the dirt.

After blowing scoring chances in the first two innings, Poly broke through against starter Shawn Carter (1-2) in the third.

With the bases loaded and none out, Orlando Chavarria singled to left to drive in Pascual Munguia. The rally stalled when left-hander Tom Manning restored order. Poly failed to score with the bases loaded and none out in the second.

“I thought that really might cost us later,� Diaz said. “That happens a lot in baseball, you know? Things like that can hurt you in the end.�

Jeff Tagliaferri almost ended Diaz’s shutout in the sixth. With John Davis on first and one out, Tagliaferri sent a high liner toward the right-field corner on a hit-and-run play. But Danny Martinez pulled in the liner and doubled up Davis at first.

“I thought it was out,� Diaz said.

Others weren’t so sure.

“Nah, he didn’t get it all,� Kennedy Coach Manny Alvarado said. “He hit the top half of the ball.�

Just like Poly. Upended for a moment, but not upset.