Chatsworth Has Good Sellz Pitch

Scott Sellz of Chatsworth High credits a family friend for the wicked curveball he displayed against Camarillo on Tuesday.

The family friend--Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax--taught Sellz to throw his curveball when he was 10.

“He showed me how to grip it and how to snap it,” Sellz said.

Sellz struck out 10 and walked none in 6 1/3 innings for Chatsworth, ranked No. 2 in the region by The Times, in a 5-2 victory in a Westside tournament game.

Seven consecutive Camarillo batters struck out between the second and fourth innings.

The No. 8-ranked Scorpions (2-1) scored two runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Spencer Wyman and then were largely silent. They finished with six hits.

“His curveball was unbelievable,” said right fielder Matt Cassel of Chatsworth.

Sellz also went four for four, including a home run in the seventh inning that sailed over the center-field fence.

It was a breakthrough game for the senior right-hander who Coach Tom Meusborn of Chatsworth is counting on as the No. 2 pitcher behind All-City left-hander Mike Kunes.

“We needed him to throw against a good club and he stepped up to the challenge,” Meusborn said.

Chatsworth (3-0) finished with 13 hits.

Cassel hit three singles, Charlie Kenny and Chad Redfern each had two singles and Matt Fisher hit a double and a run-scoring single.

Camarillo’s most impressive performance was turned in by right fielder Ryan Hall, who took away a home run from Jeff Spector with a leaping catch above the fence and wiped out a potential run-scoring single with a diving catch.

Last month, Sellz walked eight batters in 3 1/3 innings of a winter game.

“That one outing kind of made me question my ability,” he said. “I wanted to show my teammates it was a one-game fluke.”