El Camino Real Rides Out Furious Chatsworth Rally to Prevail, 11-8

El Camino Real High left fielder Jason Cohen was enjoying what seemed to be an idyllic spring day Thursday when it suddenly started raining baseballs. Cohen’s three-run triple had just staked the Conquistadores to a six-run lead and seemingly had ended any chance of their losing two consecutive West Valley League games to Chatsworth.

Yet as soon as Cohen thought it was over, it really had only begun. Within minutes, Cohen’s chat with center fielder Jeff Marks gave way to frenetic yelling . . . heavy perspiration . . . repeated throws to the infield.

“Oh, God, I thought it was completely o ver,” Cohen said. “Jeff and I were having a nice little conversation out there and, boom, it got out of control.”

Chatsworth rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth, but El Camino Real added two more in the seventh and held on for an 11-8 win in a wild three-hour 10-minute game at Chatsworth.

Cohen’s triple keyed a six-run sixth for El Camino Real (14-2-1, 11-1-1 in league play) and broke a 3-3 tie. Chatsworth (16-5-1, 8-4-1), seemingly dead in the water, did anything but sink, however.

With one out, right-hander Pat Treend (8-0) walked Adam Pearlman and gave up a two-out single to Rodney Bloom. Nestor Martinez then reached base on a fielding error by Herman Merchan to load the bases for cleanup hitter Mike Mancuso.

Mancuso sent a soft liner into left, driving in Pearlman and Bloom, but the barrage had barely begun. El Camino Real Coach Mike Maio visited Treend on the mound but elected to stick with the senior right-hander. It would prove to be the right decision but not for the obvious reason.

Mitch Root (1-1), who had relieved starter Danny Rodriguez in the fifth and surrendered six runs in the top of the inning, then blasted a rocket over the head of Marks and circled the bases for an inside-the-park homer that cut the lead to 9-8.

A stone-faced Treend never turned around.

“I don’t like to look at those,” said Treend, who allowed nine hits, struck out eight, walked six and hit another. “I just look at our (dugout) to see if we caught it or theirs to see if we didn’t.”

But the Chatsworth shouting wasn’t over. Reed McMackin singled to the hole at short, Soly Maya singled to left and Tommy Lee placed a perfect bunt down the line at third to load the bases. Treend, however, struck out Pearlman to end the inning.

Maio then called a team huddle in front of the dugout.

“I never thought it was over, believe me,” Maio said. “We may have played that way, but we sure didn’t think that way.”

With one out in the top of the seventh, Merchan was hit by reliever Brett Thompson. Josh Massey then sent a roller to Maya at first, who stepped on the bag and fired to shortstop Lee at second in an attempt to double up Merchan. Merchan, however, made a fast U-turn and outraced Lee to first with a headlong dive.

Sean Boldt kept the inning alive with a double down the line in left, bringing Treend--batting in the No. 9 slot--to the plate with runners on second and third. Treend drilled a 2-0 pitch into left for his third single to give El Camino Real a three-run lead.

Treend trudged back to the mound, with Maio’s advice to “pitch like there’s no tomorrow, please” still ringing in his ears and retired the side in order to end the game. For Treend, who threw 143 pitches, it was the seventh complete game in as many starts.

Good thing he finished what he started, otherwise Maio might have directed a few less positive words at him. It seems Treend sort of ignored Maio’s take sign at the plate in the seventh, something that will probably result in a small fine.

“He gave me the take sign, but I couldn’t do it,” Treend said, grinning slyly. “That’ll probably cost me one less piece of bubble gum at the end of the year.”