Host Chatsworth wrapped up the regular season Thursday with a 15-5, six-inning victory over Birmingham in a West Valley League game but it took a while for the Chancellors to get things rolling in the right direction.

 

When they finally did, the Chancellors (27-2 overall, 14-1 in WVL play) ended up with undisputed possession of first place in the league and some momentum going into the City Section playoffs that begin Wednesday.

 

Senior left fielder Oliver Padre (top photo) provided the punch with two home runs and junior right fielder Bobby Coyle (bottom photo) had four hits to support senior right-hander Jonathan O'Leary's fine relief effort. It was the second two-home run game for Padre this season.

 

The Chancellors trailed, 3-0, after the first inning but pieced together six runs in the fourth inning for a 6-3 lead. Coyle led off the inning with a single, his second of the game, and Padre followed with a blast into the net in left field. Senior second baseman Oscar Gutierrez doubled and scored on junior center fielder Nick Devian's double to right field.

 

After an out, freshman Andy Weissberg got a pinch-hit single to left field to drive in Devian, junior shortstop Mike Moustakas and junior third baseman Matt Dominguez walked, and Coyle finished up the scoring in the inning with a two-run single double to left field.

 

Birmingham cut the deficit to 6-5 with two runs in the fifth but the Chancellors closed out the game with nine runs in the sixth. Dominguez drove in a run with a double to center field, Coyle knocked in one with his fourth hit and Padre drove a pitch over the center field fence for a three-run homer, his seventh.

 

Freshman first baseman James Wharton produced a run with a single, Moustakas drove in two with a double to right field and after Dominguez walked, senior outfielder Nick Dillon pinch-hit and walked with the bases loaded to force in the final run.

 

O'Leary (5-0) earned his second victory in as many games. He had picked up the win against El Camino Real on Tuesday. Gutierrez had two doubles against Birmingham.

 

JV Blanks Birmingham: Sophomore right-hander Trevor Takeyama (8-1) struck out eight in five innings, freshman left-hander Michael Renner threw two innings, and sophomore outfielders Mike Hasenfus and Patrick O'Connell each had two hits to help lift the Chancellors, 7-0, at Birmingham.