Sports

UPDATE: 13-4 Win Gives Chatsworth 2-Game Lead in West Valley League

Baseball showdown at El Camino Real is about as big as it gets before the playoffs begin.

Update: With a 13-4 victory over Woodland Hills' El Camino Real, Chatsworth High takes a two-game lead in the West Valley League.

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Chatsworth High can clinch at least a share of the West Valley League baseball title today, the only thing standing in the Chancellors way a hungry El Camino Real team that’s one-game down in the standings and desperately needs a victory to keep pace.

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Today’s 3 p.m. showdown at El Camino Real is about as big as it gets before the playoffs begin, as the season winds down next week.

One big advantage for the Chancellors is they won the first of a two-game series Wednesday, defeating the visiting Conquistadores 4-0, as Angel Rodriguez pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts, limiting El Camino Real to one hit over the final 6 1/3 innings. Of course, considering El Camino Real is the defending City Section
champion, Chatsworth has every intention of keeping up the intensity.

Find out what's happening in Northridge-Chatsworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The first game is over. We have to treat this one just like the first one,” Chatsworth shortstop Brady Conlan said.

El Camino Real’s top pitcher, Jose Cardona, lost on Tuesday, as the reigning City Player of the Year was outperformed by Rodriguez. Today the Chancellors face another top pitcher, right-hander A.J. Silberman (6-3, 1.26 ERA). Chatsworth has a lot of pitching options, and among those who might start are right-handers Steven Karkenny and Christian Lopez and left-hander Aaron Brown.

In the win Wednesday, Conlan and Ricky Obando both had two hits and an RBI, Aaron Brown had two hits, and second baseman Jake Holley had five putouts, including a couple of terrific plays.

In the league standings, Chatsworth is 16-5, 6-1 and second-place El Camino Real is 15-12, 5-2.  Taft (14-10, 3-4), Birmingham (14-10, 3-4) and Cleveland (14-12, 3-4) are tied for third, and Granada Hills (10-12, 1-6) is last.

SOFTBALL UPS AND DOWNS
In her first-ever season as a softball coach, Ashley Herrera, a former UCLA standout, is experiencing a broad spectrum with Sierra Canyon High.

The Trailblazers (4-8) are coming off a 22-12 win over Brentwood, and earlier in the season they beat Cate 29-13. But there have also been some losses by such scores as 21-0, 17-1 and 19-4.

Welcome to the wacky world of small-school softball, where routine fly balls can be an adventure but a two or three top players on the same team can win almost every game.

Isabel Lozano is batting .517 with 15 RBIs, Shelby Krivis is hitting .345 with 17 RBIs and Christina Rogers is batting .444.

Sierra Canyon finishes with a tournament game in Lancaster on Friday, followed by a game at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday against Archer at Rocky Peak Church, then the finale at 3 p.m. Thursday versus Crossroads at Cloverfield Park in Santa Monica.


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