After Crecion Breaks His Nose, Chaminade Takes One on Chin

CANOGA PARK — Having lost five consecutive games to Notre Dame High, Chaminade could have used Adam Crecion, one of its best hitters.

Crecion, a senior right fielder, broke his nose in the second inning of Friday’s game against Harvard-Westlake and will be out for the rest of the season.

Without Crecion, Chaminade could muster only five hits Wednesday in a 7-4 Mission League defeat to Notre Dame when the Eagles’ sixth-inning rally fell short.

Notre Dame (7-1, 3-0 in league play) collected 12 hits and built a five-run lead before Chaminade (4-4, 1-2) made its run.

“We’ve fallen into this pattern where we fall behind and rely on miraculous comebacks at the end,” Chaminade Coach Dave Desmond said. “We just can’t do that.”

With Notre Dame ahead, 6-1, in the sixth, three Chaminade batters went to the plate with the bases loaded but couldn’t manage a hit.

Notre Dame starting pitcher Matt Egan (2-0) walked Gabe Crecion to force home one run and reliever Juan Montes walked John Gunn to make it 6-3. Montes struck out Scot Dey and Scott Shubeck grounded out to end the inning. “They battled back and I knew we let up at times,” Notre Dame Coach Tom Dill said. “They really did a good job.”

After the Knights scored an insurance run in the top of the seventh on Rich Igou’s home run, they called on Igou to prevent a possible comeback in the bottom of the inning. He struck out three and gave up one hit. Chaminade’s Jason Giovannettone, who walked, scored the game’s last run on a throwing error.

Catcher Eddie Romero went two for three with a two-run homer over the right-field fence in the third for Notre Dame, which jumped ahead with two runs in the first and two in the second.

Senior Joel Orme (2-2) went the distance and took the loss for the Eagles. He went two for four and drove in a run with a double.