City Section Baseball : Wallace Wins Despite Chink in Armor, 14-2

Overshadowed by Chatsworth High’s 14-2 pounding of El Camino Real in a West Valley League game Tuesday at Chatsworth was the revelation that Chatsworth senior right-hander Derek Wallace is, indeed, fallible.

Wallace had not allowed an earned run in 19 innings this season and was sailing along with a 14-0 lead with two out in the sixth inning. But when Wallace hung a 1-1 slider to Bobby Kim, the ball wound up over the left-field fence for a two-run home run, ruining Wallace’s bid for his second shutout.

“It had to come sometime,” Wallace said. “Better now than to have (it) happen later when there’s a lot of pressure because of a big streak.”

Said Chatsworth Coach Bob Lofrano: “He deserved it. When you hang a breaking ball . . .”

Wallace (4-0) finished strongly, striking out three of the final four batters to post his second complete game. He finished with 10 strikeouts to complement a four-hitter.

“Derek doesn’t let you off the hook,” Lofrano said. “He doesn’t walk three guys to start an inning.”

Wallace walked just two and, excluding the home run, allowed only two runners to reach second base.

The Chancellors (6-2, 3-0 in league play) scored 10 runs in the first two innings to chase junior Patrick Treend (0-2). Senior second baseman Vince Simili capped a four-run first inning with his first career home run, a three-run blast just inside the left-field foul pole.