SPRING HIGHLIGHTS : Chatsworth Edges Closer to Title, 7-6

Chatsworth High moved a step closer to securing its sixth straight league title Tuesday with a 7-6 victory over El Camino Real.

The Chancellors (10-3) have a one-game lead over Canoga Park (9-4) with two games left in the West Valley League season. If the teams tie for the championship, Chatsworth would enter the City 4-A baseball playoffs as the first-place team because of its 2-1 record over Canoga Park.

For the first 4 1/2 innings Tuesday at Chatsworth, the Chancellors looked like anything but a championship-caliber team.

Three Chatsworth errors led to two unearned runs in the fourth, and an error in the fifth set up another unearned run. El Camino Real (7-6) took advantage of the charity to take a 5-2 lead.

Chatsworth came back to score five times in its half of the fifth to give pitcher John Haselbush (4-2) a 7-5 lead. He gave up another unearned run in the seventh before being relieved by Mark Schauer, who got Mike McCann to ground into a game-ending force.

Chancellor Coach Bob Lofrano wasn’t happy, despite the win.

“That has got to be the worst we’ve played in a long time,” he said. “But our guys hung in there and came through in the fifth.”

Senior shortstop Rob Roseboro paced Chatsworth, going 3 for 3 with a single, double and triple. Teammates Joel Wolfe and Marcelino Mendoza each added two hits.

Designated hitter Jeff Scheneman led El Camino Real with three hits, while Bryce Welch, Ross Linstrom and Ray Sabado had two hits apiece.