Chatsworth Loses Lead in Eighth, Game in Ninth

After throwing 123 pitches, Valley Chatsworth’s No. 1 pitcher is used up for at least a couple of days.

State champions from Hawaii and Arizona await in pool play games, and one more loss will all but eliminate Valley Chatsworth from the American Legion Western Regional.

In other words, everything is right on schedule.

Durango’s 5-4 victory on Thursday night at Nevada Las Vegas leaves Valley Chatsworth needing victories over Kalani, Hawaii, at 9:45 a.m. today and Tucson, Ariz., on Saturday to have a realistic chance of advancing to the semifinals Sunday.

The top two teams from both four-team brackets will advance.

“Ain’t no thing,” said UCLA-bound left-hander Mike Kunes (5-1), who stifled Durango through seven innings but ultimately let a 3-1 lead slip away in the eighth, allowing four runs on a walk and four hits. “We’ll battle back.”

Valley Chatsworth (36-7) has been faced with seven must-win games in the postseason, and won every one of them.

Last week at the state tournament in Yountville, Valley Chatsworth lost its opener, then won three consecutive games to reach the final and qualify for the regional.

“We’ve done it before, so we’re not exactly stressing,” said left fielder Scott Sellz.

Sellz had two hits and drove in runs with a grounder in the first and a single in the eighth that provided the 3-1 lead.

Sellz, bound for Cal State Northridge, had a chance to do more damage in the ninth, but Eric Kitchen struck him out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Kunes, Matt Fisher, Jason Spector and Nick Huston had two hits for Valley Chatsworth, which had 12 altogether but stranded six runners in the final three innings.

“It’s totally frustrating,” Fisher said. “We had it in our hands but we didn’t clutch up with men on base, when we needed it.”

Kunes, two-time City Section player of the year, had a shutout through six innings despite never retiring Durango in order.

Durango (64-20), Nevada 4-A high school champion and Legion runner-up to Silverado, stranded 11 baserunners, five in scoring position.

Kitchen, who had three hits, singled and scored on a fly ball by Chris Kelly in the seventh.

The game was 3-1 with two out in the Durango eighth when Kunes walked Kitchen, then allowed three hits, including consecutive two-run singles by Perry and Kelly.

Coach Tom Meusborn of Chatsworth High, standing in because Legion Coach Matt LaCour is getting married this weekend, must decide between right-handers Sellz (7-3) and Charles Kenny (10-0) today.

Kalani defeated Tucson, 7-5, on Thursday.

“I’ll call Matt [Thursday night],” Meusborn said. “He’s made the decisions all year long. He should have a hand in them now.”

Said Sellz: “Coach will go with whatever hunch he has . . . but I want the ball.”

RESULT

Las Vegas Durango 5, Valley Chatsworth 4

Valley Chatsworth 200 000 011 -- 4 12 4

LV Durango 000 000 14x -- 5 13 1

Kunes and Lee; Shanks, Sherman (8), Kitchen (9) and Kahr. W--Sherman (6-3). L--Kunes (5-1). 2B: VC--Fisher, Kunes, Je. Spector; LVD--Kitchen. Records: Valley Chatsworth 36-7; LV Durango 64-20.