Chatsworth baseball beats Roosevelt 4-3 in semifinals, returns to Dodger Stadium

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Down 3-1 in the top of the seventh inning, Chatsworth never gave up. 

"All year, we've been resilient," Chatsworth head coach Marcus Alvarado said. 

The Chancellors, the No. 9 seed in the Open Division playoffs, scored three runs in the frame to take a 4-3 lead over No. 5 Roosevelt in the semifinals from USC's Dedeaux Field. Josh Pollack threw a 1,2,3 seventh inning to clinch the one run win and a Dodger Stadium championship appearance for Chatsworth.

"These guys are buying in at the right time," Alvarado said.  

CHANCELLORS FINDS A WAY

Chatsworth's first two batters reached base safely in the top of the seventh bringing Octavio Bonilla to the plate. He stroked a base hit to right field that got by Roosevelt's Lino Zepeda and rolled all the way to the wall plating two Chatsworth runs. 

Two batters later, Diego Tafolla hit a soft ground ball to first base, which scored Bonilla on a close play at home. 

"I was so excited when I heard I was safe," Bonilla said. "I was jumping up and down. I got lightheaded for a second too."

GUT PUNCH FOR ROOSEVELT

Zepeda started the game on the mound for Roosevelt striking out eight in five innings of work. He gave up an RBI single to Ryan Herrera in the fourth inning, but exited the game after the fifth with a 2-1 lead. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning, reliever Andrew Contreras retired the three Chatsworth batters he faced in order. In the top of the seventh, an RBI single from Zepeda extended the Roosevelt lead to 3-1. But the lead was short lived as disaster struck for the Roughriders in the bottom half of the inning. Roosevelt went from being three outs away from a Dodger Stadium trip to needing one run to extend their season. 

Pollack worked quickly in the bottom of the seventh inning throwing a perfect frame to end the game.

CHATSWORTH RETURNS TO DODGER STADIUM

Chatsworth has won nine City titles in the program's history, but their last came in 2009. 

"We're back where we should be," Alvarado said.

Chatsworth will play a familiar foe on Saturday. West Valley League rivals El Camino Real and Birmingham face off in the other semifinal. Both Pollack and ace Jose Ruedas will be available to pitch at Dodger Stadium for Chatsworth after Joseph Saenz got the start on Tuesday at USC.