Notre Dame’s ‘Worst’ Is Enough

The rain stayed away, but that was about all that failed to make an appearance Tuesday at Chaminade High.

In a baseball game that was punctuated by the unusual, pop-ups became home runs, a sophomore pitcher was a near-hero and a defense that never commits errors did so at the worst time.

In the end, Notre Dame, the top-ranked team in the region, defeated Chaminade, 3-2, in a Mission League game.

Coach Tom Dill of Notre Dame called it “by far the worst game” the Knights (8-0, 3-0 in league play) have played this season, despite staging a comeback.

Reliever Ryan Cowsill doused a Chaminade rally in the seventh inning.

Cowsill--who has been battling an elbow injury since last summer, prompting him to take a six-week break from pitching during the winter--escaped a no-out, bases-loaded jam by allowing only one run.

“I knew I didn’t have to strike out everybody,” said Cowsill, who earned his first save of the season.

“I knew I had one of the best defenses in the area around me.”

Cowsill was correct. Sort of.

He replaced Phil Polanco, who started for Notre Dame, with none out and a runner on first in the seventh.

After walking Bobby Berger, Cowsill gave up a single to Jon Higashi that loaded the bases.

Then the unthinkable happened. The Notre Dame infield, which had committed only one error all season, committed No. 2.

Third baseman John Puccinelli booted a grounder by Spencer Gordon, allowing Nate Dunlap to score and keeping the bases loaded with none out.

The next batter, Ryan Soroka, grounded to shortstop Jonathon Brewster, who fired the ball to home plate for a forceout.

Coach Scott Drootin of Chaminade was infuriated, insisting Notre Dame catcher Matt Cunningham had not touched the plate with his foot.

Jeff Hynick struck out and Jordan Hoff grounded out to second base to end the game.

“It’s a shame because our guys played their hearts out,” Drootin said.

Based on the first Chaminade batter, it appeared Notre Dame, which has had problems winning at Chaminade in recent years, would be in trouble.

Dunlap hit a popup to right, an out at most ballparks, but a home run at Chaminade, which has one of the shortest right fields in the region.

Holding a 1-0 lead, Chaminade (6-2, 2-1) turned to sophomore Jason Urquidez who, despite battling the flu on Monday, recovered to pitch a strong game.

Urquidez (3-1) allowed five hits against one of the most potent lineups in the region and struck out five. He walked three and did not allow a hit until the fifth inning.

Notre Dame’s pitching wasn’t bad either.

Polanco, who has signed with the University of San Francisco, settled down in the late innings, allowing six hits and striking out seven in six innings.

Polanco (4-0), who pitched Friday against Harvard-Westlake but was moved up in the rotation to face the Eagles, left the game after throwing 125 pitches, 79 for strikes.

Notre Dame scored a run in each of the sixth and seventh innings to take a two-run lead into the seventh. They needed every run.

Joel Kirsten hit a two-out, run-scoring single for the Knights in the sixth and Jon Horwitz doubled in a run in the seventh.

“Every time we come here, it’s a game like that,” said Dill, whose Knights host Chaminade on Friday. “I never feel comfortable until the end.”