Nadeau Disarms Threat by East in 10-3 Win : All-star baseball: Kennedy outfielder’s throw to the plate in third inning helps Suppan pick up victory for the West.

In a high school all-star game with 13 runs and 22 hits, the most valuable player award was given for a defensive play.

After the Bernie Milligan all-star game, it was right fielder Rick Nadeau of Kennedy High standing on the field holding the award--a baseball--recognizing his contribution to the West’s 10-3 victory Saturday at Cal State Northridge.

About 2 1/2 hours earlier, Nadeau made a one-hop throw to Crespi catcher Casey Snow, who tagged Notre Dame’s Cesar Martinez at the plate, averting what might have been a disastrous inning.

The bacon Nadeau saved, so to speak, belonged to Crespi right-hander Jeff Suppan, who started the game and found himself in an unusual amount of trouble in the third inning.

With the West ahead, 2-0, Suppan allowed three consecutive one-out singles. On the third, by Montclair Prep infielder Brad Fullmer, Martinez headed for the plate.

“I was charging it all the way, so I figured I had a good chance (to get Martinez),” Nadeau said.

Thanks to Nadeau, Suppan got out of the inning without allowing a run. His three scoreless innings were good enough for him to earn the victory.

“(Suppan) said he was going to buy me a Coke,” Nadeau said. “Where is he anyway?”

Suppan, who said “I owe a few people Cokes,” was also helped by Kennedy first baseman Jeff Tagliaferri’s diving stop of a ground ball to open the third inning.

“That was a great play,” said Nadeau, who also tripled and scored the game’s first run in the second inning. “It was clutch.”

After escaping the third, the West built a 5-0 lead by the seventh, when the East scored three runs against Crespi’s Keith Evans on a hit, three walks and a hit batsman.

But the West put the game away with five runs in the eighth on four consecutive hits and a walk against Saugus right-hander Bobby Cowan.

Notre Dame left-hander Chris Leveque, whose only regular season defeat was also against Suppan, started for the East.

Simi Valley catcher Kevin Nykoluk led the West’s 15-hit attack with a double and a triple. Newbury Park shortstop David Lamb was two for three with two runs. Monroe’s Jorge Dorado, who pitched a scoreless inning, was two for two with two RBIs.

Fullmer had two hits for the East, walked twice and was hit by a pitch. St. Francis catcher Mike Jaramillo drove in two runs.