Serna Silences Chatsworth With Three-Hitter

It was time for a revival, so the call went out from the Chatsworth High bench for somebody to “wake up the bats.”

In an effort to kick-start the offense, several Chatsworth players booted the team’s row of aluminum bats, sending them clanging across the blacktop near their dugout.

Yet it was the only ringing the bats would do Tuesday. Senior right-hander Frank Serna put the Chancellors in a deep sleep with a three-hitter to lead San Fernando to a 3-1 win in a Northwest Valley Conference game at San Fernando.

Serna, who defeated the Chancellors, 5-2, last season in a City Section 4-A Division semifinal playoff game, out-finessed senior right-hander Derek Wallace (8-1), who allowed only five hits and suffered his first career loss. Chatsworth, which entered the game ranked fifth in the nation by USA Today, also saw its 16-game win streak evaporate.

Chatsworth (17-3, 10-1) not only failed to put many dents in Serna, it botched a few chances on defense that enabled San Fernando (14-3-1, 8-2-1) to get untracked.

San Fernando’s Rudy Sanchez led off the second inning with a double and scored when Andrew Munoz’s single went between the legs of left fielder Eric Johnson. Munoz, who took third on the error, gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead when he scored on Richard Avalos’ fly ball to shallow center that fell amid a trio of Chatsworth players for a bloop double.

Chatsworth also wasted several early opportunities on offense. Serna (6-2), who walked six, walked three in the second inning but struck out Kevin Chong with the bases loaded to end the threat.

“Once I started throwing out of the stretch, I got all messed up,” said Serna, who finished with a season-high nine strikeouts.

He was fine for the stretch run, however. Other than a two-out ground single by Rich Aude in the seventh, Serna’s only mistake was a pitch that Johnson hit for a run-scoring single in the fifth, bringing Chatsworth to within 3-1. Serna escaped his only other mess in the fourth when, after two fielding errors, he retired Nick Schultz on an 0-and-2 liner to right that Avalos snared with a diving catch.

“My throat was up in here,” said Serna, gripping himself around the neck. “I was supposed to throw it out and away, but he got it. I owe (Avalos) lunch or something.”

“Hey, we had our chances early, especially in the second,” Chatsworth Bob Lofrano said. “But the bottom line is, we got one run on three hits. (Serna) really did the job.”