Only Chatsworth Can Laugh Off Comedy of Errors

It was a high school softball game and not a rerun of “Bleeps, Bloopers and Blunders,” but those in attendance couldn’t be blamed for the confusion.

In the first round of the City Section 4-A Division playoffs Tuesday, Chatsworth High defeated seventh-seeded Reseda, 12-7, in a game that featured 13 errors.

The 10th-seeded Chancellors (10-4) advanced to play a second-round game against El Camino Real on Thursday.

The Chancellors, however, seemed ready to pack it in early.

They committed three errors in the first inning--two by first baseman Krissy Zitkovich--to spot the Regents (14-6) a 3-0 lead.

But as ugly as Chatsworth’s fielding was, Reseda’s was worse.

And the Regents’ blunders came at crucial, late-inning junctures.

With the score tied, 5-5, in the top of the fifth, Reseda Coach Glory Jue replaced starting pitcher Rosie Yeatts with shortstop Kristy Rebbeck (7-3).

Yeatts shifted to first base and Tawny Marquez moved from third to short. Patricia Pena entered the game at third.

It was a recipe for disaster. The Regents committed three errors in the next two innings, giving Chatsworth four unearned runs and a 9-7 lead.

“When I go from shortstop to pitcher, everything, falls apart,” Rebbeck said. “We just don’t have anyone who can play shortstop and other teams notice that and hit it there.”

The Regents led, 7-6, when Chatsworth zeroed in on Marquez in the sixth.

Marquez kicked a two-out grounder by Jodi Borenstein. Parisa Plant followed with a single under Marquez’s glove that scored Borenstein.

Kristy Faciane then beat out a grounder to Marquez, advancing Plant. Sharleen Rubin followed with a two-run single.

Plant (2-5), who gave up four unearned runs, struck out four and walked one, recovered from her teammates’ sloppy play to shut out Reseda in the final two innings.

“After the first couple of innings, I took a deep breath and said I wasn’t going to let anything bother me,” Plant said. “I didn’t do anything differently, I just kept trying to throw strikes.”

Plant had three hits and three runs batted in, hitting a two-run double in the seventh that capped the scoring.

Rubin, Elizabeth Holodnak and Trisha Hegemen each had two hits for Chatsworth.