Notre Dame Falls When Defense Fails

John Barrett, Notre Dame High baseball coach, expressed pleasure with his team’s run production after a seven-run win over Taft last week. He also said that the key to the Knights’ season would be defense, however.

How quickly he was proven correct.

Notre Dame lost, 4-3, in extra innings on Tuesday, when Manny Flores of Chatsworth singled just under the glove of second baseman Scott Hayward with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning.

“Overall, I was pleased with our defense except for two plays that cost us the game,” Barrett said.

One of the plays Barrett was referring to was Marcelino Mendoza’s steal of third in the seventh inning, which helped Chatsworth tie the score on a sacrifice fly.

Notre Dame led, 3-2, after 6 1/2 innings. In the bottom of the seventh, Mendoza of Chatsworth led off with a single to left. He then stole second and third and scored on a deep fly to center field by Sal Barracos to tie the game.

After Notre Dame failed to score in the top of the eighth, Notre Dame pitcher Scott Scibilia struck out Matt McCourt and induced Reece Fleeton to fly out to center field. But with two outs, the Chancellors were given a reprieve when the right-hander walked the next three batters.

That set up Flores’ heroics. On a 2-2 pitch, he rolled a grounder just under the glove of Hayward to give Chatsworth its second win of the season. It was his only hit of the day.

“Manny really makes his hits count,” said Chatsworth Coach Bob Lofano. “He had a three-run homer against North Hollywood to win a game for us last week. He’s very productive.”

Productive in a losing effort was Notre Dame’s Roger Nix, who was 4 for 4.

Nix had two singles, a double and a home run that sailed 350 feet over the left-field fence.

He was also spectacular on defense, making a diving catch of a short fly ball to center in the second inning.

“Nix is an outstanding player--one of the best in the Valley,” Lofano said.

Notre Dame scored in the first inning when Nix singled in Hayward. Chatsworth countered with a run in the bottom of the inning when Dave Maine doubled in Brent Ruedy.