Two Valley Teams Find Florida Keys, Keep on Winning : Chatsworth Beats Winter Park, 5-2

Chatsworth High almost failed to keep its end of the bargain in creating a Southern California showdown in the Colonial Baseball Classic.

The Chancellors defeated defending-tournament champion Winter Park (Fla.), 5-2, Wednesday at Colonial High to advance to the semifinal round today against Saugus. But the Chancellors, who for six innings played almost flawlessly, had to survive a Winter Park threat in a seventh inning shrouded in controversy.

With one out and the bases loaded, Winter Park pinch-hitter John Pricher hit a foul popup that catcher Eric Niece caught after appearing to have juggled it off the backstop.

The play touched off a heated argument between the plate umpire and Winter Park Coach Bob King before Chatsworth reliever Derek Wallace struck out Billy Magee on three pitches to end the game.

“Am I seeing things or what?” King said. “Do you believe that call? They’re all over there laughing.”

Said Chatsworth Coach Bob Lofrano with a shrug: “It was a local umpire that called it so, hey. . .

“I thought it could have hit the fence, I don’t know. I didn’t have an angle on it.”

The Chancellors did not hit many fences with line drives, either, although they banged out eight hits, including a solo home run by John Haselbusch.

Instead, the Chancellors showed that they can win with pitching and defense.

Senior left-hander Pierre Amado shackled the Wildcats (11-4) for six innings with off-speed pitches. Amado struck out four, walked none and scattered six hits before encountering trouble in the seventh.

Winter Park’s Adin Lohry bounced an infield single and Chris Painter reached first on an error by shortstop David Waco. Willy Daunic loaded the bases with a bloop single to left and Amado walked designated hitter Jimmy Kratt to force in Winter Park’s first run.

“Seems like there’s always something in the seventh,” said Amado, who improved to 4-1. “I’m just glad I have him (Wallace) to come in and throw hard.”

Wallace entered and walked Jay Bloomer to force in another run. He struck out David Stephens on three pitches before facing Pricher.

“There was a lot of pressure,” said Wallace, who recorded his first save. “But I just took it.”

The Chancellors (8-1), who have committed only two errors in Florida, were even more impressive defensively.

First baseman Art Lowe made a diving backhanded catch of a line drive in the fourth inning. In the sixth, Waco fielded a chopper behind the mound and threw on the run to Lowe for the out. He also went deep into the hole to backhand a ground ball and nailed the runner at first.

“It’s like I keep saying,” Lofrano said. “This team is pitching and defense. For six innings, we didn’t give them anything you could shake a stick at.”

Chatsworth scored a run in the first when Joel Wolfe reached first after striking out and later scored on a passed ball. In the second, back-to-back doubles by Haselbusch and Ty Powell and a single by Wolfe amounted to two more runs.

In the fifth, Waco walked and later scored on a single by Vince Simili. Haselbusch, who was 2 for 3, later belted a homer to left field.