Calabasas Baseball Team Erupts Against Birmingham

Calabasas pitcher Jacob Fields has an unusual pitch at his disposal. He has been experimenting with a knuckleball during the Valley Invitational Baseball League. Most pitchers at the high school level rely on fastballs and sliders to get batters out. Some even try a variety of off-speed pitches. But high school pitchers rarely resort to knuckleballs.

Fields used his knuckleball to keep Birmingham off balance in an 18-1 thumping on Wednesday at Calabasas High School.

It was the fourth win in the past five games for Calabasas. Fields went five innings, giving up four hits and striking out six. He walked only one batter and had impressive control for a pitcher who mixes in knuckleballs and off-speed pitches throughout the game.

Fields said his arm wasn't feeling 100 percent against Birmingham. It was more like 80 percent. He relied on his defense to make plays and get outs. When he's on the mound, that is his usual strategy.

"That's the easiest way for me," Fields said. "I'm not a strikeout pitcher."

Fields even contributed at the plate. Every Calabasas starter but one had at least one hit. Fields was 1-for-3, drew three walks, scored two runs and drove in one.

Calabasas (7-10) scored eight runs in the third inning to build an 11-1 lead. Calabasas tacked on five more runs in the fourth inning en route to its biggest offensive day of the summer baseball league.

Alex Rubanowitz was a perfect 5-for-5 with two doubles. He drove in two runs and scored four. Josh Ehrlich was 2-for-4 with a double and drove in three runs. Adam Luther hit a two-run home run in the second inning. He finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs and scored three runs.

Luther hit his first home run of the Valley Invitational Baseball League season. The junior-to-be said it was his first home run since his freshman baseball season.

"The first pitch was a high fastball," Luther said. "I knew I was going to get another fastball. I wanted to put it in play, make something happen."

His home run over the left field fence gave Calabasas a 3-1 lead. More importantly, it gave Fields an added boost of confidence.

"Once Luther hit that home run, I knew it was going to be smooth sailing from there," Fields said. "I like our team. I like the way we hit. We'll put runs up on the board, even with wood bats."

The players and teams in the Valley Invitational Baseball League are using wood bats, instead of metal bats, during the summer.

Calabasas took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Rubanowitz led off the game with a single and came around to score on a Birmingham error. It was one of four errors in the game for Birmingham.

Birmingham (8-8-1) tied the game in the top of the second inning. Jerry Zaragoza knocked in Manuel Granillo with an RBI single.

Calabasas took the lead in the bottom of the second on Luther's two-run home run.

In the third inning, Calabasas exploded for eight runs, six hits and three doubles. Josh Ehrlich delivered the big blow with a two-run double that scored Rubanowitz and Luther.

Calabasas added five more runs in the fourth inning. Max Shifman, Travis Cassidy and Rubanowitz each had RBI singles in the inning.

 Meanwhile, Fields was mowing down Birmingham hitters, retiring the last six batters he faced in a row.

"He's a dominant pitcher," Luther said. "If all those pitches are working, he's tough to beat."

Ehrlich came in to relieve Fields and pitched two scoreless innings to end the game. He gave up only one hit, a two-out single in the seventh inning.

The next game for Calabasas is on the road against El Camino Real on Friday.