Notre Dame Gets Rude Awakening in 4-2 Loss to Crespi

With two out in the top of the fourth inning Saturday, Notre Dame High catcher Dave Supple started to trot off the field, as if the inning were over.

He must have known something.

What happened thereafter would cost the Knights their first loss, a 4-2 defeat against Mission League rival Crespi.

Ranked second in The Times’ area poll, Notre Dame dropped to 9-1, 4-1 in league play. The Knights are one game behind fourth-ranked Crespi (9-1, 5-0) and 1 1/2 games behind Alemany (6-0 in league play).

The host Knights led, 2-1, with two out in the fourth, when an embarrassed Supple was called back to the plate. Knight starter Chris Leveque was cutting through the Celt order with relative ease.

But he fell behind Crespi cleanup hitter and pitcher Jeff Suppan (3-1), who sent the next pitch, a belt-high fastball, over the center-field fence for his second home run in as many at-bats and third of the season.

Leveque (3-1), who has pitched two shutouts this season, walked two of the next three hitters, with a bloop single in between, loading the bases.

“I just got out of my rhythm,” Leveque said. “I was trying too hard. It’s the first time this year I’ve had control problems like that.”

He might have gotten out of the jam with the score tied, 2-2, except for a miscue in the infield. Brad Farlow hit a routine ground ball to shortstop Ryan Stromsborg, who threw to second baseman Joey Orlando. Orlando was late covering the bag, and Stromsborg’s throw was high. The runner was safe, and Crespi scored the go-ahead run.

“When I threw, I thought the throw was there,” Stromsborg said. “Maybe he couldn’t find the bag. I could have gone to first base just as easily, but with two outs, you look for the short throw.”

Orlando said: “I’m not sure who was at fault. I had to reach up for the ball and I kind of pulled my foot.”

The Celts got an insurance run in the sixth on a two-out throwing error by Orlando.

Meantime, Notre Dame, which took the lead with two first-inning runs, was stifled by Suppan (4-1), who struck out nine, increasing his season total to 42, and gave up five hits and one walk.

Suppan seemed to get stronger as the game progressed.

He finished by striking out Gerry Del Valle and Orlando, both looking at fastballs on the outside corner.