Clark Cuts Down Harvard-Westlake With Arm, Bat

Allan Clark was on top of his game, both on the mound and at the plate, for the Calabasas High baseball team on Wednesday and there wasn't much North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake could do about it.  

The right-hander pitched a complete game five-hitter and helped his own cause with a couple of timely base hits to guide the Coyotes to a 5-3 Valley Invitational Baseball League victory over the visiting Wolverines.  

"Allan is young, but he has a lot of potential,'' Calabasas coach Ed Edsall said. "He's in the same boat as everyone on this team. We have some positions open and Allan is doing a good job of competing for a roster spot.''  

The Wolverines (8-5) got on the board first when they manufactured a run in the top of the first inning.  

Clark, however, was far from rattled and managed to settle down shortly thereafter. It helped that the Coyotes (5-9) used some small ball to even the score in the bottom half of the inning.  

Alex Rubanowitz reached base and moved to second on a successful bunt off the bat of Josh Ehrlich. One batter later, Rubanowitz came around to score on a Jacob Camhi single as the teams went into the second inning tied at 1.  

Harvard-Westlake answered a couple of innings later, rallying in the top of the fourth to regain the advantage, 3-1.  

But Clark and the Coyotes were resilient. Jacob Fields got things started in the bottom of the fifth inning when he bunted for a single and promptly stole second base. Brett Bachelis stepped into the batters box and delivered a double to score Fields. Clark followed with a hit and he scored as well, on a Rubanowitz single, to tie the score at 3.  

Calabasas was just getting started.  

Camhi led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a double. The next batter, Anthony DiCosimo, drew a walk. Camhi scored on a Fields single and DiCosimo moved into scoring position. The Coyotes added an insurance run when Clark drove in DiCosimo with a base hit to provide the winning margin.  

"We're playing some good ball right now,'' Edsall said. "I'm happy with the way these guys are doing things. They're working hard, and as a coach, that's all you can ask from your players. Just play hard and things normally work out.''