HS BASE: Torres HRs not enough for Birmingham in loss at Chatsworth

Kevin Torres of Birmingham of Lake Balboa hit two home runs, including a grand slam, but he did not get much help in a 7-5 loss today at three-time City Section champion Chatsworth in the West Valley League baseball opener for both teams.

Torres' grand slam in the fifth inning off Chatsworth ace Aaron Brown sailed over a 50-foot screen beyond the left-field wall, an especially impressive blast considering the wind was blowing in. On his next at-bat in the seventh, Torres homered off closer Steven Karkenny, one of the league's hardest throwers, to pull the Patriots (9-5, 0-1) to within two runs, but they could get no closer

"He can swing. He's a good hitter," Brown said.

Torres, a 6-foot-1 junior, has six home runs in 14 games.

"Kevin has been doing this all year," Birmingham coach Matt Mowry said. "The one shot that went over the screen, he hit that pretty well. That's a pretty good shot."

Torres, also Birmingham's top pitcher, had a rough outing on the mound. The right-hander allowed five earned runs in four-plus innings on three hits, five walks, three hit batters and two run-scoring balks.

"I wasn't feeling it today," said Torres (4-2). "I know our team is better than this. We need to focus on what we have to do and not let this affect us."

Three Birmingham pitchers allowed a total of 13 walks and hit batsmen.

"That makes it kind of tough. Thirteen walks and hit batters? You can't beat a good team or even a halfway decent team when you do that," Mowry said.

With a cast of new faces and top power hitter Derek Neely sidelined with a hand injury, Chatsworth is trying to create scoring opportunities this season because there isn't someone hitting a three-run home run every time you turn around.

"This year, we have to scrap," Brown said. "We're working on the little game."

Chatsworth (11-3, 1-0) jumped to a two-run lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit, then padded the lead to 5-0 with a three-run rally in the third highlighted by Chris Carlin's two-run single combined with an outfield error.

Two innings later, Torres' grand slam pulled Birmingham to within one run.

"We got into a little bit of a dogfight today," Karkenny said. "That's what our team lives for. We definitely have to play together as a team and scrappy. We're getting better."

The victory was Chatsworth's seventh in a row.

Karkenny earned the save by pitching the last two innings while giving up one run. Birmingham had runners on second and third with two out in the top of the seventh, but Karkenny induced a short flyout to left for the final out.

The game was first scheduled for Tuesday but was postponed because of a swarm of bees at Chatsworth. The teams play again today at Birmingham.

"We've got to do better," Mowry said.

Chatsworth 7, Birmingham 5

Birm 000 040 01 - 5-6-1
Chats 203 020 x - 7-4-1
Torres, Meddellin (5) and Rodarte;
Brown, Rodriguez (5), Karkenny (6)
and O'Connell. W-Brown; L-Torres.
HR: B: Torres 2 (6). 2B: B: Rodarte.
R: C 11-3, 1-0; B 9-5, 0-1.