SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : 4-A Roundup : Mater Dei’s Season Thrown a Curve With Loss to Crespi

Chris Spears of Crespi High School showed Mater Dei something it doesn’t see every day--a consistent curveball--and as a result, Mater Dei won’t get a look at another pitch this season.

Spears, a left-hander, threw a seven-hitter to lead Crespi to a 5-3 victory over Mater Dei Tuesday in the second round of the Southern Section 4-A baseball playoffs at Mater Dei.

Crespi (21-5-1), which won the Del Ray League, will play El Dorado in the quarterfinals. The game is scheduled for Friday, but that’s also the day Crespi has graduation.

“A curve like his is something you just don’t see often on the high school level,” said Bob Ickes, Mater Dei coach.

Spears (10-2), who was voted the player of the year in the Del Ray League this season, pitched a four-hitter Friday as Crespi defeated Crescenta Valley, 5-2, in the opening round.

Mater Dei (17-7-1) got to Spears in the fifth for three runs to take a 3-2 lead after Crespi scored two runs in the third.

Spears hit Dan Melvin and walked Mike Balsamo to open the inning. Larry Sutton bunted the runners over. But Spears got Jim Zaccari to hit a fly ball to shallow right field that second baseman Dave Cameron caught for the second out.

Spears then threw one of his only bad breaking pitches of the day and Kevin O’Connor doubled off the fence in left to score Melvin and Balsamo. Crespi Coach Scott Muckey then ordered an intentional walk to Eric Weight, but Joe Ciccarella followed with a single to give Mater Dei a 3-2 lead.

Crespi came right back and scored three runs in the sixth. Greg Barton’s sacrifice fly scored Paul Fell with the tying run. Chris Greenamyer singled home Pat Murphy for a 4-3 lead and Dave Cameron singled home Kenny Franco for the final run.

In other 4-A games:

Ocean View 2, Colton 1--Behind the strong pitching of Senior Mike Fyhrie, the Seahawks (20-6) advanced to the third round at Ocean View.

Fyhrie, who relieved starter Dan Naulty in the fourth inning, raised his record to 11-1 and recorded seven strikeouts and allowed only one hit. The pitchers had combined for a no-hitter in Friday’s 3-0 victory against Channel Islands.

Fyhrie’s RBI single gave the Seahawks a 1-0 lead in the third.

Colton (20-6) tied the score with an unearned run in the fourth.

Ocean View (20-6) scored the winning run in the sixth when Fyhrie walked and was driven in by Vic Fresca’s ground-rule double.

Servite 4, Westlake 3--Servite’s Andy Croghan pitched 4 innings of near-flawless relief to eliminate Westlake at Westlake.

Servite starting pitcher Craig Barkley was 6-0 going into the game and was given a four-run lead in the third inning. But when Westlake scored three runs in the third and had the tying run at second base, Servite Coach Mike McNary replaced Barkley with Croghan.

Croghan got John Rowedder to ground out and then retired 13 of the last 15 Westlake batters, striking out three and walking none.

Servite (21-5-1) scored four runs after Westlake pitcher John Chiaramonte (7-3) gave up successive walks to Tom Szymanski and Mike Robertson.

Chris Ulmer followed with an run-scoring double and designated-hitter Mike Petko doubled to drive in two more. Petko later scored what turned out to be the decisive run on a fielding error by Westlake second baseman Chuck Foster.