Crecion, Chaminade Win in Grand Style, 9-5

Gabe Crecion has signed to play football at UCLA next season, but his recent actions are keeping his options open.

Crecion, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior at Chaminade High, belted a fifth-inning grand slam Wednesday to give the Eagles a come-from-behind, 9-5 victory over Loyola and sole possession of the Mission League baseball lead.

“He’s a true baseball player,” Chaminade Coach Denny Barrett said. “We haven’t even tapped his potential because he came to the game late and he’s just starting to develop the instincts and aggression.”

Crecion said he has been promised a chance to play both football and baseball at UCLA but that he will see if and where he is chosen in the upcoming baseball draft before turning his attention to Westwood.

Loyola jumped to a 4-0 lead after two innings and was clinging to a 4-3 advantage when Crecion marched to the plate and focused on Cub reliever Mike Giampaolo with the bases loaded.

Crecion took one curveball and fouled off another en route to a 1-and-2 count. Giampaolo tried another curve but the only thing that bent were spectators’ necks as they strained to watch the Eagle first baseman’s sixth home run disappear over the right-center field fence more than 330 feet away.

Chaminade (14-3-1, 6-0-1 in league play) cruised after that. If the Eagles beat Loyola (14-5, 4-1) in a rematch Friday at Chaminade, the league title will be theirs to lose.

Chaminade’s Brian Kaye allowed two hits and three earned runs in two innings while walking three, striking out two and hitting two.

Kaye was relieved by ace Chris Gray, who made his first appearance in three weeks after suffering a hip injury. Gray (4-1) limited Loyola to three hits and an earned run in five innings while striking out three and walking none.