Breaks Continue to Fall Crespi-Encino’s Way in 8-7 Win

Victor Seper says it was simply a matter of “hanging tough.” Seper’s coach, Scott Muckey, describes it as lucky.

Whichever the case, the Encino-Crespi American Legion baseball team emerged with its second extra-inning win in as many games, defeating host Glendale, 8-7, in 10 innings Saturday in a District 20 game at Glendale High.

Encino-Crespi, whose only defeat was an extra-inning loss to Panorama City, improved to 8-1. Glendale is 6-4.

With Encino-Crespi trailing, 7-5, and one out in the top on the ninth, Seper hit a sinking line drive to left field. Glendale’s Rob Walley came up short on a diving catch, allowing Casey Snow and Joe Ruggiero, pinch-running for Kyle Carden, to score from first and second with the tying runs.

“He got a pretty good jump on it, but he just missed it,” said Seper, who knocked in Javier Avila on a dropped, two-out fly ball in the bottom of the 10th inning in a 2-1 win over Lancaster on Wednesday. Seper had two hits and three runs batted in Saturday.

“It’s just a game of inches. I was pretty confident we could win after we tied it in the ninth.”

So was Snow, who singled in Joe Turner from third with the winning run in the 10th. “We’ve been down a lot of times this season, but we’ve gotten quite a few breaks,” said Snow, who scored twice and reached base on three occasions.

Muckey said his team cannot always count on getting the breaks in the future.

“We’ve been winning the close games, but I don’t know if we can go through the whole season expecting miracles,” Muckey said. “To win a championship, you have to have a little luck. We’ve been fortunate to have good pitching to keep us in a game and give us a chance.”

Phil Aghajanian was up to the task Saturday. Aghajanian picked up the win and improved to 5-0 after relieving starter Jeff Luderer in the fourth.

Aghajanian held Glendale scoreless and allowed only one hit in the final five innings. He retired the side in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Glendale starter Jason Greenberg (1-1) took the loss, pitching 9 1/3 innings before being relieved by Kevin Dietch in the bottom of the 10th.

“We were swinging the bat well and I felt that if we kept doing what we were doing, it would end up a close game,” Muckey said.