"Let Them Make the Mistakes"

Crespi came away with a 7-6 victory over Orange Lutheran on Wednesday in a semifinal game in the Diamond Sports National Classic at Placentia El Dorado. It was worthy of a championship game, with each team making no errors and refusing to go down without a fight.

Crespi broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh. The Celts took advantage of bases-loaded walks to Josh Mason and Ryan Brockett, plus a two-run single by Alex Gonzalez.

The key to victory for Crespi was its pitchers throwing strikes. Because the tournament is using wood bats, home runs have been rare. Only two had been hit in three days. That means keeping runners off the bases is crucial. Starting pitcher Madison Dang walked none in four innings. Heineman walked three over three innings. In contrast, three Lutheran pitchers had nine walks.

"They helped us out a little bit," Muckey said. "That's our philosophy: Go out and play the game of baseball and let them make the mistakes."

Crespi advances to tonight's 7 p.m. championship game at Cal State Fullerton, where it will play El Dorado, which beat Edison, 2-1. It will be the second time in three years that the Celts will try to win the tournament title.

Despite losing ace Ryon Healy last month because of a muscle strain in his forearm, the Celts keep finding pitchers. Dang and Heineman are Nos. 5 and 6 on the Celts' staff, and a seventh pitcher, Chad Tobin, is expected to start tonight.

They all follow the Muckey credo: Throw strikes.