Calabasas baseball beats Agoura to tighten up Marmonte League race

CALABASAS — Calabasas baseball coach Thomas Cassidy did not struggle to decide who would be the Day 2 starter when he was setting his pitching rotation this season. Luke Szymanski was an automatic choice.

“We’ve been needing that really good outing in Game 2, which he’s embraced and done really well,” Cassidy said. “He’s not gonna get freaked out or too overexcited. He’s gonna go out and have poise and pitch his game.”

The junior and first-year varsity player gave up one run and struck out eight hitters in six innings of work in a 9-2 win over Agoura on Thursday after his team fell to the Chargers 7-4 in 11 innings Tuesday.

“I normally just think three things: Get ahead early, attack and control what I can control,” Szymanski said.

The win tightens the race for an automatic bid to the CIF Southern Section playoffs with just over a week left in the Marmonte League season.

The Coyotes (13-9 overall, 5-6 Marmonte League) and Chargers (11-12, 5-6), who will finish their three-game series at Agoura on Friday, are now tied for second place while Westlake and Oaks Christian are tied for first with identical 9-3 league records. The Marmonte League has three automatic bids for the playoffs.

“Tomorrow’s game is important for both sides as far as being in control of their own destiny,” Agoura coach Anthony Chevrier said. “I’m 12 years in. I’ve been 15-0, and I’ve been 3-6 and having to work your way all the way back. Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t.

“As long as your team gives everything they’ve got, they have a great attitude, they want to be good teammates and they want to compete, you can’t be mad about that.”

Calabasas broke open the game by scoring five runs in the fifth inning. Calvin Sokolsky (2 for 3) started the inning with a double, then Matt Witkow was intentionally walked. Both runners advanced on a passed ball, then Jack Quirk was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Nathan Rosenfeld was walked for an unearned run and the Coyotes continued to pass the bat and built an 8-1 advantage after scoring three runs in the first four innings of the game.

Calabasas felt no pressure despite the two intentional walks.

“Baseball is fun,” Sokolsky said. “It’s a kids’ game. It’s meant to be fun, and we’re just here having fun. And if we win, we win. If we make playoffs, we make playoffs. But at the end of the day, we’re playing well and we’re just gonna keep it up.”

AJ Seidel (2 for 3, RBI) and Dylan Arborio (1 for 2, two RBIs) each scored on passed balls in the fourth inning.

Agoura gave up two bases on wild pitches and two bases on passed balls while also allowing two runs on passed balls in the game. Chevrier chalked it up to a lack of execution.

“The game all starts on the mound,” Chevrier said. “If you’re not constantly filling up the strike zone and pitching to contacts — the guys that came in today tried their best, but there were times that they were throwing balls four or five feet from a target and when you give up free passes and you wild pitch them to the next bases, now they get free opportunities to score runs.”

The Chargers’ Kaden Graves drove in Beau Lantz on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and Tyler Starling hit an RBI single to score Dylan Cittadino in the seventh inning. Starling, a lefty, will be the starting pitcher in Friday’s game.

More scores from Thursday:

Chaminade 7, St. Francis 1

Crespi 10, La Salle 1

Palo Verde 13, Alemany 1

Grace 5, Thacher 3

Brentwood School 8, Viewpoint 0

Oaks Christian 3, Santa Paula 2

Valley Christian 10, Heritage Christian 0

Sylmar 6, South East 1

Buckley 17, Lakeview Charter 0