Chatsworth Starts to Show It’s Not Just a Paperweight

Slowly but surely, the Chatsworth High baseball team is showing signs that it is indeed the powerful squad it appeared to be on paper before the season began.

The latest glimmer of hope: the Chancellors’ 8-7 victory over Bell on Thursday in a semifinal game of the Sylmar tournament.

Seven Chatsworth starters returned from last season’s City Section 4-A Division runner-up team, and in the preseason, some City coaches were all but handing the Chancellors this year’s championship trophy.

But after four games, Chatsworth had lost two and won the other two by one run, and Coach Tom Meusborn was not happy.

Since then, Chatsworth (5-2) has won three consecutive games.

“I think we’re playing a little better,” Meusborn said. “Our pitching and our defense will be there eventually, but our hitting was beginning to concern me. Now we’re hitting the ball a little better.”

Two nice things--two identical nice things--were the performances of twins Rod and Ray Daryabigi on Thursday. Rod, a second baseman, went three for four and scored three runs. Ray, batting leadoff and playing center field, drove in three runs and scored once.

“Ray has been swinging a hot bat and Rod has too,” Meusborn said. “Rod has gotten a lot more aggressive and has been a pleasant surprise offensively.”

Chatsworth built a 7-3 lead after three innings.

Jim DeBiase (2-1), who surrendered four extra-base hits in the first two innings, left after five innings with an 8-4 lead.

Freshman Greg Wold, a sidearmed junkball pitcher, surrendered a two-run double to Jose Lopez in the sixth and a run-scoring single to Gus Valenzuela in the seventh, bringing up the potential go-ahead run with two out. But Wold induced Claudio Moreno to fly out, ending the game.

Meusborn talked to his players for 20 minutes after the game, listing the positives and negatives. On the plus side, there were the eight runs and the victory. The bad news: four errors--three in the fourth inning--and the fact that Bell (5-1) outhit Chatsworth, 12-9.

“We’re a long way from where we need to be,” Meusborn said. “But we’re getting there.”