St. Francis ‘Accountant’ Ends Up in the Red, 6-5

Bat on shoulder, Kevin Walsh stood near the batter’s box eagerly awaiting his chance. With the score tied in the top of the eighth inning Friday afternoon, Crespi High had loaded the bases with one out, and Walsh was in position to knock off St. Francis.

Just inserted into the game and throwing his warmup pitches was Roger Marshall, dubbed the “dueling accountant” by St. Francis Coach Tom Moran because of his horn-rimmed glasses and diminutive physique.

Walsh was looking to tee off on a belt-high pitch. Instead, he grounded to shortstop. St. Francis’ defense, however, did not convert the sure double play, committing an error that ultimately gave Crespi a 6-5 Del Rey League victory at Valley College.

“He was just serving the ball up there,” Walsh said of Marshall. “My eyes were popping out. I was looking to drive it.”

A slap proved as effective as a slam as Crespi’s Tim Weir broke up a potential double play with a slide into second base that disrupted the throw to first base by St. Francis shortstop Paul Gomez. He made the forceout at second, but his throw sailed over first baseman Mitch Bowen’s head, allowing two runs to score for a 6-4 Crespi lead.

St. Francis (3-3, 0-1 in league play) scored once in the bottom of the inning after Matt Jones, who reached base on a one-out single and stole second, came home on a base hit by J. P. Roberge.

Crespi (4-2-1, 1-1) scored two runs in the third to take a 4-3 advantage. Brodie VanWagenen led off with a single and Mark Maurizi followed with a triple. Maurizi, who has committed to Notre Dame, scored on Rick Marino’s single.

John Workman, who replaced St. Francis pitcher Manny Fernandez in the fourth, hit an infield single in the fourth, advanced to third on a stolen base and an error and scored on Scott Haney’s single to forge a 4-4 tie.

Crespi Coach Scott Muckey was pleased with his team’s defense.

“I think we’ve got one of the best shortstops (Maurizi) in Southern California and that anchors a pretty darn good defense,” Muckey said.