Light Hitter Makes Big Impact as Crespi Wins
Mike Peters has a rather bold confession to make, even though the numbers he posted Friday against Alemany High might argue otherwise.
“I’m not a good hitter,” said Peters, a Crespi junior who is unabashed about the fact that he is not a basher.
Before this season, Peters last picked up a baseball bat in Little League, which wasn’t enough of a hindrance to his starting for the first time in left field in a critical Del Rey League game.
Eveything turned out well for Crespi and Peters, who had three infield singles, knocked in two runs and scored another as the Celts nickel-and-dimed their way to a 9-3 victory at Alemany.
Crespi improved to 7-2-1, 2-1 in league play; Alemany dropped to 5-5, 2-2.
Celt Coach Scott Muckey was skeptical about the ability of Peters, a football player, when the two first met.
“He said he was coming out and I kinda laughed,” Muckey said. “(Football Coach) Tim Lins told me he could run. . . . Now it seems like he’s always on base and creating a lot of problems for the defense.”
It didn’t take long for Peters to give the Indians fits. In the second inning, Peters tied the score, 1-1, with an infield single that scored pitcher Rick Marino from third. Peters then stole second and third but the inning ended when catcher Kevin Walsh struck out.
Peters struck again in Crespi’s three-run fourth when he put down a perfect bunt, stole third and scored on a wild pitch. An identical bunt by Peters in the fifth scored Victor Seper.
Alemany, which was held to five hits, was frustrated by Marino, who improved to 2-0, and submariner Pat Bennett, who entered in the fourth. The Indians also committed four errors.
“We just had to wake it up a little bit,” said Joey Rosselli, Alemany’s left-handed pitching ace who played in center field Friday. “Seems like some guys would make a bad play and keep their head down.” Or, as Coach Jim Ozella said: “We seemed like we were dead today.”
Alemany mounted a short two-out rally in the sixth when Rosselli tripled home Kirk Fellows, who had reached base on a fielder’s choice. Leo Tejada singled home Rosselli. Bennett closed the door by striking out Steve Pacheco.
