Aghajanian Lifts Crespi to Mission Title

Phillip Aghajanian needed a shovel more than a baseball mitt.

Before Aghajanian, a senior right-hander for Crespi High, touched the ball Friday, the Celts were buried beneath a five-run, first-inning deficit against visiting Bishop Montgomery.

But Aghajanian, who relieved starter Jorvic Salazar with none out and a runner on base, came through with eight complete innings and Crespi rallied for a 9-8 Mission League victory at Valley College.

The victory gave Crespi (19-5, 9-3 in league play) the league title. Alemany and Notre Dame finished in second at 8-4.

“I’ve come in before when we were behind by five runs,” said Aghajanian, who struck out six and walked none. “But never in the first inning.”

Aghajanian (4-3), who employs a sidearm delivery, prevented further damage while the Celts clawed back into the game. He retired 11 of 12 batters in one stretch. The Celts rallied to pull even, 5-5, in the fifth.

Bishop Montgomery (9-15, 5-7) scored two unearned runs in the sixth and a run in the seventh to take an 8-5 lead. But Crespi countered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, the third when right fielder Tim Newville dropped Joe Turner’s fly ball with two out, allowing Jim Horacek to score.

In the eighth, Victor Seper delivered the game-winner with a bases-loaded single to drive in Joe Ruggiero with none out.

Newville, who pitched 6 1/3 innings before yielding to reliever Anthony Milanes, capped the Knights’ first inning with a grand slam. Milanes followed with a single--the Knights’ fourth hit of the inning--before Aghajanian replaced Salazar.

“I didn’t think we had a prayer,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “There were a lot of times where we needed a hit and we could have busted it wide open.”

Crespi was on the verge of a big inning in the first. Seper singled to drive in Brodie Van Wagenen and send Kyle Carden to third. Horacek walked to load the bases with one out. But Casey Snow lined into an inning-ending double play.

The Celts stranded 16 runners in the game.