Calabasas Baseball Team Squeaks Out 3-2 Win Over Agoura

Calabasas shortstop Alex Rubanowitz gave the Agoura baseball team fits on Wednesday.

He led off the game with a double and scored the first run. He pitched a perfect seventh inning to get the win. He scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Calabasas squeaked out a 3-2 win over Agoura behind Rubanowitz, who scored two runs, drew two walks and was 1-for-2 at the plate.

With the game tied 2-2, Calabasas loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh inning. Agoura third baseman Chad Clark made two game-saving plays, throwing out runners at the plate, and kept the game tied. His second stab was a diving stop to his left. He popped up and threw out Kevin Lerner at the plate.

After two stellar defensive plays, Agoura let the game slip away. Agoura pitcher Zach Mercer walked Kevin Khalili on four straight pitches, scoring Rubanowitz and giving Calabasas a one-run win.

"Chad Clark, he's great," said Ed Edsall, Calabasas baseball coach. "We had three chances, three outs, to get that runner in. When the first guy didn't get it done, I had every bit of confidence in the second guy, I had every bit of confidence in KK at the end. Fortunately he was able to lay off some of those pitches and get the RBI. It would have been nice to get it earlier, but I'll take it."

Calabasas scored two gift runs in the first inning on a pair of errors by Agoura. Rubanowitz doubled down the right field line to lead off the game and scored on an error two batters later. Khalili reached first on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored the other run for Calabasas in the first inning.

After a shaky first inning, Mercer retired 10 Calabasas batters in a row. He went the distance, striking out five and giving up five hits.

"Zach kept battling back," Agoura catcher Garrett Garner said. "Tough loss. We battled in the seventh inning. We did what we needed to do."

Agoura scratched across a run in the third inning to cut the Calabasas lead in half. Clark knocked in Tyler Cohen with a two-out RBI double.

Garner tied the game, 2-2, with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning.

"It was a pretty good feeling, but we didn't come out with the win today," Garner said.

Calabasas starter Travis Cassidy went six innings, struck out four and gave up five hits. He also walked two batters.

"Travis threw a gem," Rubanowitz said. "We had a couple errors behind him, but it's no big deal. Our team can battle throughout the whole nine order. Every batter can get on base and that's how we win, by small ball."

Agoura had at least one runner on base in every inning, but Cassidy worked out of the jams and stranded six Agoura base runners.

Calabasas evened its Marmonte League record at 4-4. Agoura dropped to 1-7 in league play.

"It's huge," Rubanowitz said. "This whole Marmonte League has great teams throughout. Even the last place team, Agoura, they battled and they're a good team. Being .500 now gives us a better edge for making playoffs."