Notre Dame Surge Sinks Alemany

Jim Ozella knew that if his Alemany High baseball team got into a bit of bind Tuesday against Notre Dame the predicament could swiftly degenerate into a situation his thin pitching staff would be unable to handle.

Because of last week’s rain, Alemany has to play four games this week, including three Del Rey League games in four days, and his pitching staff is without starter Joey Rosselli, who is out because of mononucleosis.

Asked before the game who would be coming in from the bullpen, Ozella quipped, “I am, and then he is,” pointing to an assistant.

So it was no surprise that Alemany could not hold a five-run fifth-inning lead and lost, 12-6, at home.

“It would be a lot nicer to be able to bring Joey in,” Ozella said. “That’s what happens when you go to your No. 4 or No. 5 pitcher.”

With Alemany leading, 6-1, Notre Dame (13-7, 5-2 in league play) sent 13 batters to the plate and two Alemany pitchers to the showers in the fifth, scoring nine runs on seven hits, a walk, an error and a hit batter.

Ozella stayed with starter Brian Rosselli, Joey’s brother, until four runs had scored. Reliever Damon Paikos, making his first appearance since becoming academically eligible two weeks ago, was called upon with the bases loaded and two out, but the two batters he faced walked and doubled.

Ozella was forced to bring in John Lite, whom he had hoped to save until Friday.

“After the fourth, when they scored a run, we came right back,” Notre Dame Coach Bob Mandeville said. “We try to keep confidence in our players and a couple of hits did it.”

The key play in the fifth was pinch-hitter Chris Lohman’s two-run double to left-center off Paikos, which gave the Knights a 7-6 lead. The next batter, Kevin Crosby, ran out an infield single, sliding headfirst into first, slightly injuring his right ankle.

Alemany first baseman Joe Cupo thought Crosby had been called out to end the inning and rolled the ball to the mound, allowing Lohman to score.

“We made some bad plays that inning,” Ozella lamented.

Senior Mike Peterson (7-2) pitched a complete game for Notre Dame, running into trouble in only the third when Alemany (13-7, 4-3) scored five runs. Jon Beauchemin doubled down the left-field line to score Bill Horvat and Lite. Cupo also scored when catcher Bobby Hughes dropped the relay throw, and Alemany led, 5-1.

The Indians added another run in the fourth when Horvat doubled home Greg Biley, who had doubled.

“I couldn’t get my deuce over,” Peterson said, refering to his curve. “I was trying to get it over on 3-and-2 but it wasn’t working.”

Given a 10-6 cushion after the Knights’ fifth-inning outburst, Peterson faced only 11 batters over the last three innings.

“The last couple of games we haven’t been coming back, but we broke out today,” Peterson said.