Crespi Stays Alive to Play Another Day : High school baseball: Celts hold on to beat Chaminade, 8-7, face Eagles again today with playoff berth on the line.

There was a lot riding on Friday’s Mission League game at Valley College between Chaminade and Crespi highs, which are fighting for the league’s third and final Division I baseball playoff berth.

Chaminade could have clinched its first postseason appearance since moving to the Mission League in 1990, but Crespi would have none of that. The Celts hung on for an 8-7 victory that forced today’s 1 p.m. tiebreaker between the teams at Valley.

The timing isn’t exactly the best for Chaminade, which held its senior prom on Friday night. Coach Dave Desmond, however, did not enforce a curfew for his players.

“If our guys can find their way back from the prom, we will win,” Desmond said. “All we have to do is show up.”

Crespi broke a 6-6 tie in the sixth inning on a run-scoring single by Tony Gonzalez, and Gus Jordt gave the Celts an insurance run they would need by scoring on an error.

The Eagles fell short after scoring in the top of the seventh when Gabe Crecion drove in his brother, Adam Crecion, with a sacrifice fly.

Junior Ron Jones (9-3) earned the victory for the Celts and senior Casey Cote (1-2) took the loss for Chaminade.

“Ron had plenty of reason to be frustrated, but he really hung in there,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “He did a great job for us today.”

Both teams scored a run in the first inning before Crespi (16-9, 8-6 in league play) took a 2-1 lead in the second. Chaminade (16-9, 8-6) grabbed a 4-2 lead with three runs in the fourth.

The Celts responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Barry Mathews scored from third base on a wild pitch, Chris Crawley scored from third on an error and John Campanella made it home on a fielder’s choice to give Crespi a 5-4 lead.

Brad Farlow drove in the Celts’ sixth run with a triple to right-center.

Chaminade scored two runs in the sixth to tie the score, 6-6, before Crespi took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning.