Crespi Bounces Royal Out of Playoffs, 1-0

VAN NUYS —  The ball keeps bouncing the right way for Crespi High. On Tuesday, it bounced into right field, allowing the Celts to continue inching their way through the Southern Section Division I baseball playoffs.

Christian Dempsey’s high-chop single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove home Barry Matthews from second base to give Crespi a 1-0 victory over Royal in a second-round game at Valley College.

For Crespi (21-7), which will play Fountain Valley on Friday at a site to be determined, it was the second consecutive 1-0 playoff victory after the Celts squeezed by Lakewood in the opening round.

“I figured it would be close, but I wasn’t expecting this,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “I figured it would be more like 3-2 or 4-3, but we never got there.”

For six innings, right-handers Jon Cuccias of Crespi and Matt Rainer of Royal were locked in a duel before Crespi broke through against senior right-hander Matt Pitstick.

Rainer (3-1) yielded to Pitstick after hitting Andy Campanella with a pitch to lead off the seventh. Matthews forced Campanella at second on a sacrifice attempt, then advanced to second on a single to left field by Rob Hirsh. Dempsey swatted Pitstick’s first pitch to the right side, and Matthews easily beat the throw to the plate.

For Royal (24-3), champion of the Marmonte League, it was the team’s first shutout loss of the season. Several players appeared bitterly disappointed.

“It hurts,” Royal Coach Dan Maye said. “When you get beat in a tough game like this, it should hurt. We had a great season. This just wasn’t the way we wanted it to end.”

Royal first baseman Adrian Mendoza, who made diving catches of line drives in the first and fifth innings, battled tears.

“We’re definitely disappointed,” said Mendoza, a senior left-hander and Royal’s ace. “Overall, I think we’re just happy now to have done as well as we did.”

Rainer kept Crespi off-balance for much of the game, striking out six and allowing just two singles.

Crespi’s pitching continues to improve and junior Brian Felten continues to look like the ace.

Felten (9-1), who pitched a two-hitter against Lakewood, relieved Cuccias in the seventh with one out and a runner at first. Felten retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts.

For his part, Cuccias allowed only a pair of singles and struck out six.

“Felten is our guy,” Muckey said. “But Cuccias made a strong statement about that today, didn’t he? I’m really happy for the both of them.

“I thought it was great pitching by both teams.”

Cuccias survived Royal’s only scoring threat, in the third inning, when Mendoza singled to left field with Jason Hibarger at second. However, Hibarger was thrown out at the plate on a relay from third baseman Mike Turner.