Chatsworth Comes Up Empty in Opener, 6-4

Four home runs. A 13-strikeout performance by Scott Sellz. That usually means victory for Valley Chatsworth.

So how come it was Brooklawn, N.J., celebrating a 6-4 victory Friday night in an opening game of the American Legion World Series at Palmer Field?

“If we had a couple guys on base when we hit those home runs, it would be a different game,” said center fielder Chad Redfern of Valley Chatsworth.

Valley Chatsworth (40-8) found out what it’s like to face a real college pitcher.

Pat Sperone, a 19-year-old sophomore right-hander at the University of Connecticut, was hit hard at times, but he threw strike after strike. He finished with 10 strikeouts, walked none and survived a Valley Chatsworth home-run barrage in the sixth inning that tied the game, 3-3.

Matt Fisher homered and one out later Redfern and Sellz hit consecutive home runs--all over the left-field fence.

Fisher homered again in the eighth, Valley Chatsworth’s fourth home run of the game. It only reinforced Sperone’s success in keeping runners off base.

Mike Kunes, the batter ahead of Redfern, was hitless in four at-bats. Nick Huston and Brian Lee, the hitters ahead of Fisher, were a combined zero for six with four strikeouts.

“He was a college guy who knew what he was doing,” Fisher said. “He hit his spots and mixed up his pitches.”

Sperone (12-0) retired the first 11 batters until Redfern hit a double.

Until Brooklawn got a seventh-inning single, all the hits in the game were home runs or doubles.

Brooklawn (44-6) opened a 3-0 lead on a home run by Anthony Yula in the second and a two-run home run by Mark Michael in the fourth. Those were rare mistakes made by Sellz, who struck out 13, walked four and allowed five hits.

The decisive inning was the seventh, when Brooklawn scored three runs to break the tie. Matt Ryan hit a two-out infield single between first baseman Charles Kenny and second baseman Jason Spector to score the tie-breaking run and Anthony Quilino delivered the crushing blow with a two-run single on an 0-and-2 curveball.

“I meant to throw it in the dirt, but it got up,” Sellz said of his pitch to Quilino.

Sellz (8-4) struggled during the Region 8 tournament last week. His earned-run average was 15.43 in two games.

He redeemed himself on a windy, overcast evening in which his fastball, curveball and change-up kept fooling Brooklawn batters.

“I had all my pitches working,” he said.

Brooklawn might be considered the favorite to win the eight-team tournament considering it has 11 players who played in the World Series last year.

But Valley Chatsworth was hardly in a panicked mood. The team is once again facing a must-win situation, a predicament the players seem to enjoy. Valley Chatsworth is 11-0 in elimination games.

Next is a round-robin game in its four-team National bracket today against New Brighton, Minn., then a Sunday game against Edmond, Okla.

The two top teams in the bracket will qualify for the semifinals Monday.

There’s plenty of fight left in Valley Chatsworth.

“I’m looking forward to icing up and getting the ball again,” Sellz said.

American Legion World Series

at Middletown, Conn.

All times PDT

*

Pool Play

National Division

Friday

New Brighton, Minn. 8, Edmond, Okla. 2

Brooklawn, N.J. 6, Valley Chatsworth 4

Today

New Brighton vs. Valley Chatsworth, 10 a.m.

Edmond vs. Brooklawn, 5 p.m.

Sunday

Edmond vs. Valley Chatsworth, 7 a.m.

Brooklawn vs. New Brighton, 2 p.m.

*

American Division

Friday

Bloomington, Minn. 13, Gallatin, Tenn. 3

Kennewick, Wash. 9, Portland, Maine 1

Today

Bloomington vs. Kennewick, 7 a.m.

Portland vs. Gallatin, 2 p.m.

Sunday

Kennewick vs. Gallatin, 10 a.m.

Bloomington vs. Portland, 5 p.m.

*

Pool winners will play pool runners-up in semifinals on Monday. Championship will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday.