Hills Alive on Osuna’s Homer, 10-9 : Legion baseball: After being shut out two games in a row, Verdugo Hills wins in 10th inning.

VAN NUYS — Verdugo Hills, shut out in two consecutive games, broke out of its slump with a 10-9, 10-inning victory over Central Valley in an elimination game of the American Legion District 20 playoffs Thursday at Birmingham High.

“Something had to break for this team,” Verdugo Hills Coach Spiro Psaltis said, but he would never have guessed that the game-winning, two-run home run would come from Jesus Osuna, who had not hit a homer all season.

Osuna’s home run gave Verdugo Hills, which trailed by five runs in the fifth, a 9-7 lead. Loren Geller stretched the lead, driving in another run with a double.

But Central Valley (15-8) scored two in the bottom of the 10th and had runners at first and second when Phil Onsaga struck out the last two hitters to finish a complete game.

Verdugo Hills (15-8) will play Panorama City at 1 p.m. today at Burroughs High.

Encino and Glendale will meet in another elimination game at 4 p.m. today at Burroughs.

West Hills and Newhall, the only teams in the double-elimination tournament without a defeat, will play at 7 p.m. at Burroughs.

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Newhall 8, Panorama City 2--Chad Ott, Brian Baron and Jeremy Seipel hit solo home runs for Newhall (21-2) in a winner’s bracket game at Burroughs.

Brent Davidson pitched a five-hitter for Newhall. John Wilson of Panorama City also pitched a complete game, striking out 11.