Baseball: Late rally keeps Calabasas’ season alive

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I left this afternoon’s Marmonte League thriller between Calabasas and Westlake with a headache, but that was purely my own fault for standing next to the Calabasas dugout for most of the game. The Coyotes were yipping and yelling the entire time, and the decibel level really kicked up a notch late in the game when Calabasas’ bats cracked to life.

Thanks to a five-run sixth inning spearheaded by a pair of two-run hits by Trevor Nathanson and Brian Rivera, Calabasas rallied to a season-extending, 5-3 victory over visiting Westlake. The victory forced a three-way tie between the Coyotes, Westlake and Moorpark for fourth place in the Marmonte League, and you’ll need to go here to find out what happens next.

Also, check out these photos from today’s game:

Despite giving up two runs to Westlake’s metalworking crew of Shane Kroker & Co. in the first inning, the Coyotes never gave up hope. Pitcher Greg Selarz settled down following the rough start and kept the Warriors from running away on the scoreboard. In addition, the Coyotes didn’t get discouraged even though they left three runners on base in the first two innings.

Calabasas played like a team facing elimination while Westlake once again failed to cross the finish line. The Warriors definitely have the talent, but for some reason their hitting and pitching efficiency varies from inning to inning. Calabasas rocked Loyola Marmount-bound reliever Alex Gillingham after starter Graham Johnson left with the bases loaded in the sixth and nine runners were stranded on base. Ouch!

Of course, everybody knows what Westlake is capable of accomplishing (just ask Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks). And despite losing eight of its last 10 games, I still think Westlake is the favorite to claim the league’s final playoff seeding. It’s just too difficult for me to imagine a team this talented missing the postseason and the Warriors have less than 48 hours to figure out how to make things right.

Here’s what Selarz had to say about the victory:

And here is Westlake Coach Zach Miller’s take:

-- Austin Knoblauch