Kassis, Kennedy Come to Life in Late Innings

Two firetrucks cruised by the Chatsworth High baseball field during crunch time Tuesday. Perhaps the firefighters stopped by to check for signs of life, to see if a pulse was discernible in the visiting dugout.

As far as Kennedy was concerned, it was nearly flat-line time. The Golden Cougars were down by two runs with two out in the seventh inning, and pinch-hitter George Kassis was staring down the barrel of an 0-and-2 count.

Two out, two strikes. . . . Just then, the firetrucks stopped nearby for no apparent reason, lights flashing.

“I saw the trucks out of the corner of my eye,” Kassis said. “My pulse was definitely pumping.”

It was Kassis who administered CPR to his mates. The sophomore singled home the tying runs two pitches later and Kennedy scored three runs in the eighth to swipe a 7-4 victory in a Northwest Valley Conference game between two of the hottest teams in the Valley.

The victory by Kennedy (14-2, 5-2 in league play) was its ninth in a row and snapped Chatsworth’s 10-game winning streak.

The Chancellors (13-3, 6-1) seemingly had the game won in the seventh when the defense caved in on right-hander Jim DeBiase, who gave up only two earned runs in seven innings. With a runner at first and Kennedy trailing, 4-2, David Bourne sent a routine grounder to second. However, first baseman Tony Montiel dropped the ball for an error.

It was one of five Chatsworth errors--and the most crucial. Devin Connelly followed with an infield single to load the bases and, with two out, Kassis tied it with a looping hit down the right-field line.

Kennedy added three runs in the eighth to put the game away. DeBiase (7-1) walked Richard Prieto to open the inning and was relieved by center fielder Mark Lopez, who walked the bases full.

With two out, Connelly, who returned to the lineup last week after missing a month because of a broken right thumb, cleared the bases with a double to left-center. It was his third hit in as many innings.

Kennedy right-hander Miguel Diaz (7-1) pitched a seven-hitter.