Baseball: Two evenly matched teams are ready for City Division I final
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Saturday’s 1 p.m. City Section Division I championship game at Dodger Stadium between El Camino Real (21-12) and Chatsworth (28-4-1) will finally settle who’s best in the West Valley League.
The two schools split their league meetings, each by scores of 7-5, and there’s not much difference in the two programs that have risen to the top in the City Section. Chatsworth has won nine City titles and El Camino Real six.
Chatsworth will start on the mound junior right-hander Jason Karkenny (11-1, 2.08). El Camino Real will start junior left-hander Owen Perry (7-1, 2.27). Both were on junior varsity last season, so how they handle the pressure of the City final could be critical.
Both teams can hit when pitchers don’t throw strikes. Chatsworth has three hitters with averages above .400 _ Scott Voets (.435), Jared Holley (.416) and Chris DeVito (.415).
El Camino Real’s Nick Snyder leads the team with a .373 average, but All-City outfielder Chris Nicholson is a dangerous leadoff hitter.
Both have solid shortstops in El Camino Real’s Mason Novak and Chatsworth’s Holley.
El Camino Real holds a 4-1 edge in beating Chatsworth in championship games at Dodger Stadium.
The City Divison II final is scheduled for 10 a.m. matching South Gate and North Hollywood.
Tickets are $10.
-- Eric Sondheimer