Fowble Picks the Sign, and Casey Dials 9, for 8-3 Win

At times, Sean Casey can be a little unrealistic.

“He will try to do it all himself,” Granada Hills Coach Darryl Stroh said.

Other times, Casey is just unstoppable.

The senior right-hander was both Tuesday in an 8-3 Mid-Valley League victory at home over San Fernando.

First, the rough edges.

Casey struggled early, allowing three runs, five hits, four walks and hitting a batter in the first three innings. That gave San Fernando a 3-2 lead.

Simply a case of trying to be too fine, according to Stroh.

“Sean went into a spot there where he really struggled,” Stroh said. “He just couldn’t get his rhythm. They weren’t hitting him hard, but he was putting people on base.

“We have a good defensive ball club. All he needs to do is relax and stay within himself and let the team help him--which is what finally happened.”

And it was Casey who provided his own happy ending.

With Granada Hills clinging to a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth, Casey blasted a two-out grand slam to finish off his sixth victory in seven decisions.

But even in his solo effort, Casey said he had help.

“Greg Fowble picks up the catcher’s signals pretty well, and when he closed up his fingers, I knew what was coming,” Casey said. “It was a curve ball, and I just waited on it.”

And then he watched it.

It was a sight that meant sore eyes for San Fernando Coach Steve Marden. His team stranded six runners through to the first four innings before giving way to the Highlanders.

“They made the big play, and when the opportunities presented themselves, we didn’t,” Marden said.

Pitcher Bob Aparicio, in his first outing since regaining his eligibility Monday, kept it close into the sixth. He departed with one out and Mark Kessler on second base.

Fowble then reached base on an error. One out later, Bob Allen, who doubled twice, drew his second walk to precede Casey’s blast to left-center field. Three of Granada’s runs in the inning were unearned.

“Granada does a very good job of taking advantage of mistakes, and we made numerous mistakes,” Marden said. “You can’t do that against good clubs.”

Granada Hills, The Times’ top-ranked team in the Valley, is just that. The victory left the Highlanders (8-1, 5-0) undefeated through the first round of league play. San Fernando is 5-4, 3-2 in league.

More help is on the way for Granada Hills.

Pitchers Brett Browning, Derek Smith and Scott Tosti--three-fifths of the Highlanders pitching staff--are scheduled to return from the injured list soon to take some of the burden from Casey.