Outs

LANCASTER - For a second straight evening, the brute strength of the Quartz Hill Major Baseball All-Star team proved both impressive and unbeatable, much to the chagrin of Crescenta Valley. Host Quartz Hill homered three times, including two shots from No. 3 hitter Alex DeShields, in rallying for a devastating 5-4 victory in Wednesday evening's winner-take-all Section 2 championship game at Gilbert Memorial Field in Lancaster. With the defeat, District 16 champion Crescenta Valley, which was gunning for its first sectional title since 2007, concludes its dual-tournament record at 5-2. District 51 champion Quartz Hill, which captured its first sectional crown in three years and forced a deciding game by defeating Crescenta Valley, 15-4, on Tuesday with four homers, advances to Saturday's Division III North Tournament at Ladera Little League Field in Los Angeles.

LA CRESCENTA - In Tuesday afternoon's CIF Southern Section Division III softball wild-card outing, Crescenta Valley High came out swinging and so too did Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Problem for the host Falcons was, the Knights were sending line drives into the outfield, while the Falcons countered by swinging at bad balls out of the zone. It amounted to a four-run deficit for CV after an inning that ultimately set the tone throughout the Falcons' season-ending 9-4 loss to Notre Dame.

LOS ANGELES — When it comes to Mission League baseball action, there are no breaks. From top to bottom, the league is stacked with talented and deep squads. The St. Francis High baseball team has found that out the hard way of late and Friday proved to be the latest example. The Golden Knights’ offense found its groove a little too late and St. Francis allowed Loyola to score all of its runs with two outs in a 7-5 loss at Loyola’s Hank Hernandez Memorial Field.

Standings ? Scores Police 10, Landry?s 10 Christian Rivera started the game for Police and Tanner Dunning got the nod for Landry?s. Although both pitchers saw hardly any mound time last year, they had become the go-to guys this year. Rivera stranded the bases loaded on two consecutive strikeouts in the first inning. Police was able to build a 9-6 lead through four innings, thanks to Rivera?s performance. Police picked up an additional run in the top of the fifth inning and brought in youngster Grant Arthur to replace Rivera on the mound.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — No time limit could contain all the action in the District 16 Minor Softball Knockout Tournament game between CV Zeke’s and CV Mariners at Glorietta Park on Saturday. Already having run afoul of the tournament-imposed 1 hour 40 minute constraint, but still tied up at nine runs apiece as the fifth inning wound down, the umpire had no choice but to let the teams continue to slug it out for at least the full scheduled six innings, as the game was an elimination contest.

Officer Bryan Duncan was running late to a drunk-driving enforcement operation on March 17 when he witnessed a major traffic collision on the Foothill (210) Freeway that quickly escalated into an inferno. Duncan jumped off his motorcycle, ran toward the collision - which involved a Dodge Challenger and a Nissan Sentra - and began calling for emergency crews. After Duncan and a passerby pulled the driver from the fiery Nissan, he tried using a fire extinguisher to douse the flames.

GLENDALE - With a fresh start, the members of the Flintridge Prep baseball team have accomplished two things this season that haven't been done since the 1990s. Under the guidance of first-year coach Guillermo Gonzalez, the Rebels won their first Prep League championship since 1997. Flintridge Prep then crossed off another item off its check list Friday. PHOTOS: Flintridge Prep vs. Santa Paula baseball Karlsen Termini hit a two-run home run and starting pitcher Brenden McKiernan tossed a complete game to lift Flintridge Prep to a 14-6 home victory against Santa Paula in a CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round contest at the Glendale Sports Complex.

Remember that commercial, featuring Clara Peller's plaintive query, "Where's the Beef"? Clara would have been in heaven, Brazilian-style, at Gauchos Village. This enormous all-you-can-eatery features swords filled with all things beef, as well as chicken, lamb and pork, carved to order. Vegetarians might want to take a pass, as meat certainly takes center stage in a constant parade of protein. Dining at this churrascaria (spit-roasted barbecue eatery) is quite an experience.

I'm not sure where it was on the road of life that I got the idea that health food stores were full of things that didn't taste very good and should be avoided. But I do know where I was when I found out how wrong I was ? the Full O'Life Health Food Market and Restaurant in Burbank. Maybe I confused health food with foul-tasting diet food. Whatever. All I can tell you is that I feel like I've made a new friend, though I'm admittedly late to the party. Full O'Life has been a part of the community since 1959, making it one of the first natural food stores in the region.

At La Cubana, it's a family affair. For 33 years, the Fernandez family has been serving home-style Cuban food in Glendale. Thursday through Sunday, most tables are occupied by multigenerational families, chattering in several languages. The spacious dining rooms feature high ceilings and tables set with white linens and fresh red roses. The super-bright lighting makes things a little less than romantic, but you sure can read the menu! Orders are served family style, on platters that can easily be passed around the table.