Chatsworth Ends Semifinal Jinx After Pep Talk From Meusborn

The 1980s closed in painful fashion for the Chatsworth High baseball program, which endured the indignity of three consecutive losses in the semifinal rounds of the City Section 4-A Division playoffs.

Amid the whispers, one word crept to the fore: jinx.

Chatsworth was recognized as one of the best programs in the area under then Coach Bob Lofrano, who led the Chancellors to the semifinals seven times in the decade. Six times Chatsworth fell a game short of the final.

A new decade brought a new coach, fresh-faced, happy-go-lucky Tom Meusborn, a 29-year-old rookie coach.

Mindful of Chatsworth’s recent history, Meusborn gathered his team for a pregame talk at Birmingham High on Friday afternoon, minutes before Chatsworth faced Taft in yet another City 4-A semifinal game.

“Hey, I haven’t been around for a jinx,” Meusborn said to his players. “I don’t know what a jinx is.”

As if on cue, Chatsworth disposed of Taft convincingly, 6-1, earning a berth in the final at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday against El Camino Real, a 3-1 winner over San Fernando on Friday.

The only jinx in evidence on the diamond Friday came from Reed McMackin’s right arm. The senior (12-2) cast a spell over Taft, allowing just four hits with nine strikeouts to win his ninth consecutive decision.

McMackin, wearing a navy blue turtleneck under his jersey on an 80-degree day, felt precious little heat after surrendering a first-inning run. He allowed no hits after the third inning.

“I always like to keep a good sweat,” he said with a grin.

For Chatsworth (22-5-1), the game provided little cause for perspiration after the second inning. In that frame, the Chancellors scored all six off Ryan Revel (3-1).

Mitch Root tripled to lead off the inning and scored on McMackin’s single. Scott Carpenter blooped a single to left field to score McMackin for a 2-1 lead. Tommy Lee then chopped a grounder over third base to score Soly Maya, who had doubled, and Adam Pearlman.

Faced with a 4-1 deficit, Taft (13-15-1) collapsed. Left fielder Sean Collins dropped a fly ball for an error, and a run scored, then shortstop Benji Belfield booted a grounder, allowing another run to score. Suddenly, Chatsworth owned a 6-1 lead and McMackin, mixing a hard fastball with well-controlled breaking balls, was coasting.

That Taft had advanced to the semifinal was brow-raising itself. A wild-card entry with a losing record, the Toreadors had defeated Reseda, then upset top-seeded Poly and University. But any magic on Friday belonged to McMackin.

“Reed McMackin had his good stuff today,” Taft Coach Rich McKeon said. “We couldn’t touch him. He was at the best I’ve seen him. That’s the story of the game.”

McMackin, however, disagreed. He lauded the redheaded Meusborn, who couldn’t wipe the grin off of his face at the thought of a Dodger Stadium trip in his first year.

“I’d just like to say that this one was for Coach Meusborn,” McMackin said. “There was no jinx involved. He made us forget the jinx.

“This is his year.”