Errors cost CV in Section 2 opener

GLENDALE — A change of scenery didn’t suit the Crescenta Valley Junior Baseball All-Star team on Saturday.

The District 16 champions made the long trip to take on the District 51 champion Tehachapi squad at its home Tehachapi Little League Fields in the Section 2 Tournament Saturday. Two costly Crescenta Valley errors were turned into two runs in the fourth inning and a 3-1 Tehachapi win.

“I just think that being 110 miles away from home, the atmosphere is just a little bit different,” said Peter Cosfol, Crescenta Valley’s coach.

Cosfol said the team didn’t play like itself, struggling to score runs after defeating Tujunga, 11-2, in the District 16 championship game on Monday.

“Our bats weren’t talking today,” Cosfol said. “We’ve had no errors the past couple games we played and we had five this game. We can’t win if we are making errors and aren’t hitting.”

Tehachapi strung together two hits in the second inning to score its first run of the game. The home team’s big two-run fourth, capitalizing on two CV errors, proved to be the difference.

“The balls were taking bad hops in the infield, some of those plays weren’t even attainable,” Cosfol said. “Now they are used to it. They will come out tomorrow and show them what CV is all about.”

Crescenta Valley did all it could to respond to Tehachapi’s fourth inning. Zach Burch got Crescenta Valley’s offense jumpstarted with a one-out single to start the fifth inning and the next batter, Patrick Moreno, was walked. Matt Erickson hit a hard ground ball to shortstop, which loaded the bases after it was bobbled for an error.

Kevin Hello brought Burch home with a sacrifice fly, which gave Crescenta Valley its first run of the game and cut the score to 3-1. That one big hit eluded CV, though, as another fly ball ended the bases-loaded threat.

“We were trying to rally but we couldn’t put it together,” Cosfol said.

Cosfol is now concerned, not worried, about his team getting back on track and playing the way they know how.

“The boys want it bad and they are going to have to take the hard road through the loser’s bracket,” Cosfol said. “I think they can do it.”

Crescenta Valley plays today at 10 a.m. against the loser of the San Marino-Encino game at the Tehachapi Little League Fields.

“These boys are hungry… I can guarantee you they’re smelling it now,” Cosfol said. “They don’t like being in the losers bracket, I can tell you that.”