Calabasas defeats Moorpark

Special to The Acorn


Calabasas and Moorpark commenced their Marmonte League seasons last week when both teams entered the league opener with a combined record of 7-1 during non-league play, indicating that both teams had started hot to open the season.


For Calabasas (3-1 in the Daily News Invitational Baseball Tournament), the trend continued as the Coyotes played solid defense and tallied seven hits in a 5-2 victory over the Musketeers. Moorpark (4-0 in Westside tournament play) appeared rusty as the Musketeers managed only three hits, committed several errors and ran into three outs on the base paths.


John Henry Jacobs, the CHS starter, worked 5 2/3 innings of two-hit baseball before handing the ball to Drew Saberhagen, who closed off the game. Jacob’s struggled with his stuff, but stymied the Moorpark hitters, allowing only two hits.


"I wasn’t throwing that well with my pitches, but I threw strikes when I needed to, and I got out of innings when I needed to," said Jacobs.


Calabasas manufactured a run in the first. Moorpark starter Jason Breckley walked Ilie Kramer to lead off the game. Mike Benford bunted Kramer to second, and first baseman Drew Saberhagen (2 for 4, one RBI, one run scored) scored Kramer with a single past the dive of second baseman Cody Holland.


Moorpark responded in the bottom of the first.


Jacobs gave up a leadoff single to Moorpark third baseman Eddie Garcia, who advanced to second when Josh Bernstein misplayed the ball in left. Jacobs struck out the next hitter and gave up one of his four walks to No. 3 hitter Zach Penprase. Jacobs erased Penprase at first with a pickoff move that silenced the early Moorpark threat.


But Garcia tied the score, 1-1, taking both third and home on wild pitches by Jacobs.


Calabasas right fielder Kevin Cohn launched a 385-foot home run to centerfield in the second inning, to put the Coyotes back on top, 2-1. Breckley settled in after the home run, retiring seven of the next nine hitters as he adjusted the release point on his curveball and was tough to hit.


But the Coyotes got to Breckley again in the fourth when shortstop Brett Waxler started a two-out rally with a single. Tony Bonelli, the Calabasas DH, laced a double to left that scored Waxler, making it 3-1.


Moorpark started to rally in the bottom of the fifth, but two outs on the base paths silenced any momentum.


Cody Dee led off with a single, the first hit off Jacobs since Garcia’s single in the first inning. Ryne Intelkofer ran for Dee at first and Calabasas responded with a bunt pickoff play. Saberhagen crashed to the plate from first while second baseman Benford snuck in behind the runner. Jacobs pitched out and Calabasas catcher Aaron Lowenstein snapped a throw to first, sending Intelkofer back to the bench.


"We tried to go after him. We felt that (Intelkofer) would not be as loose as somebody else and he hadn’t seen the moves. Anytime you’re coming off the bench to do anything, it’s always double tough," said Calabasas head coach Rick Nathanson.


Bryan Garcia then reached on an error and was doubled off when brother, Eddie hit a fly to right field.


"We gave up a full inning of outs against a good team. You do that against a good team with a pitcher that’s throwing as well as Jacobs did, and it’s going to make it real tough," said Moorpark head coach Scott Fullerton of his team’s base running.


Calabasas added a run in the sixth, putting CHS up, 4-1. Aaron Levin smoked a double to the left center field gap and was lifted for pinch runner Daniel Hirsch. Kevin Cohn followed with a grounder to third baseman Eddie Garcia, who rifled a throw across the diamond that pulled Moorpark first baseman Justin Bogeyavich off the bag and caused a collision with Cohn. The ball reached the fence behind first and Hirsch scampered home.


Moorpark scored one run on Troy Loehr’s RBI single in the sixth, which was charged to Jacobs, before Saberhagen got the final out. Calabasas scored another unearned run in the seventh after two walks and two Moorpark errors.


Saberhagen threw a perfect seventh inning, striking out the final two Moorpark hitters.


"I definitely wanted this game real bad. I think the first one is always the toughest one to get," Nathanson said.





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