Crespi Rolls to Share of League Title

Crespi High infielder Brodie Van Wagenen’s father played on the PGA Tour a few years ago. The next-generation Van Wagenen, not to mention his Crespi teammates, swings a different kind of club. All are big hitters, nonetheless.

Just ask the Notre Dame gallery, which watched shot after shot go screaming into the blue Wednesday. Call it Crespi’s quest to become a Mission League titlist.

“We were hitting nine-irons,” Notre Dame Coach Bob Mandeville said. “They were hitting two-irons.”

Crespi pounded out a season-high 17 hits and routed host Notre Dame, 12-4, in a critical league game.

Crespi (18-5, 8-3 in league play) clinched at least a share of the league title and can win it outright by defeating Bishop Montgomery on Friday at Valley College.

Seven of nine batters in the Crespi lineup had at least two hits, and shortstop Casey Snow had a game-high three. This was the way many observers expected the Celts to play all season, but at least their timing was great.

“It surprised the heck out of me,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said, laughing. “It just kind of came at the right time.”

Crespi hammered a succession of Notre Dame left-handers, starting with losing pitcher Chris Leveque, who gave up five runs on eight hits over four innings. The onslaught started with a two-run, line-drive home run by Brett Farlow in the second as the Celts staked ace right-hander Jeff Suppan (7-2) to a 5-0 lead.

Suppan cruised through the first three innings before Notre Dame found the groove, albeit briefly. In the fourth, Suppan surrendered three runs on three ringing doubles and a single as Notre Dame closed to within 5-3.

It wasn’t close for long.

Left-hander Chris Garza relieved Leveque (2-4) to open the fifth and struggled to find the strike zone. Garza walked leadoff batter Kyle Carden on four pitches, then hit Vic Seper with a 1-and-0 offering. With the Notre Dame infield charging the plate in anticipation of a sacrifice bunt, Jim Horacek squared, pulled back the bat and slapped a single into right field to load the bases.

“That’s not a sign that I flash,” Muckey said. “(Horacek) made that read on his own. If they crash, we slash.”

Thereafter, it was slash and burn. By the time the smoke cleared, Crespi had sent 10 batters to the plate and had scored four times in the inning to take a commanding 9-3 lead. By the time Garza--the Notre Dame ace with an 8-1 record--threw a strike, the bases were loaded and Crespi was ready to roll.

“If Garza had any stuff, we’re in the ballgame,” Mandeville said. “But he had nothing.”

Suppan settled down thereafter and held Notre Dame to one hit in the fifth and one in the sixth. Phil Aghajanian allowed an unearned run in the seventh.

After a few ups, downs and detours along the way, Crespi finally might be playing to its potential. Every Crespi starter had at least one hit through six innings.

“As you can see, they’re capable of swinging the bats,” Mandeville said. “Suppan’s hitting .350 and he’s batting ninth. I think they’re going to go a long way in the playoffs.”

Suppan, in fact, had two hits and drove in two runs. He also doubled to give him four extra-base hits in his last two games. Farlow, Suppan’s battery mate, seems to be hitting his stride after a so-so season. The senior catcher, who has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Long Beach, slammed his first homer and drove in four runs.

“It seemed like everybody had good at-bats today,” said Snow, who was three for four and drove in two runs. “Now we need to make sure we don’t get bigheaded before we’re through (with Friday’s game).

Notre Dame doesn’t have the luxury of waxing egotistically. The Knights, in first place last week, must defeat St. Paul on the road Friday to remain in contention for a berth in the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs.

“We came out here fighting for the league title,” Mandeville said. “Now it’s for the playoffs.”