DIV. I: CLEVELAND SET TO VIE FOR TITLE CLEVELAND 4, CHATSWORTH 0.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

Byron Grubman feared spending another afternoon playing for a title at Dodger Stadium.

Grubman and his Cleveland High of Reseda baseball teammates will finish their season at Dodger Stadium for the third time in four years, but this time the Cavaliers have no reason for disappointment. Instead of playing for 17th place as part of the lower Invitational bracket earlier in the day, they will play for the City title Tuesday night against top-seeded Sylmar. The No. 15 Cavaliers continued their quest to go from Invitational champions to City champions within a year by upsetting defending City champion Chatsworth 4-0 in Thursday's semifinal at Pierce College behind a complete-game five-hitter by Grubman.

The championship berth is Cleveland's first since Bret Saberhagen pitched the Cavaliers to the title with a no-hitter in 1982.

``We felt if we got a chance, we could do this,'' said Grubman, who also led Cleveland hitters with two hits, including a second-inning double.

However, getting the opportunity was something many considered unlikely after Cleveland (20-11) finished fourth in the West Valley League. Having four teams from one league qualify for the upper bracket is rare, but the West Valley's depth and Cleveland's three victories over Chatsworth (25-6) as well as a victory over Sylmar were enough to give the Cavaliers a spot among the top 16 teams.

``This feels great,'' said Cleveland sophomore outfielder Adam Olbrychowski. ``I knew we had it in us. We haven't had a chance before. This year they finally gave us a chance and we showed what we could do.''

Even though Cleveland had won three of four meetings with Chatsworth during the regular season, the sixth-seeded Chancellors appeared to have regrouped from a late-season slump. Chatsworth was coming off an upset of West Valley League champion and No. 3 El Camino Real of Woodland Hills in the quarterfinals, but any momentum from that game was gone by the second inning when Cleveland started getting to Chancellors starter Jason Dominguez.

Dominguez (5-1) retired the side in order in the first but opened the second with back-to-back hits by Armando Contreras and Grubman, who both scored on groundouts by the next two batters.

Olbrychowski drove in two more runs for Cleveland after Chatsworth ace Joe Guntz relieved Dominguez one pitch into Olbrychowski's at-bat in the fourth inning. Olbrychowski's drive to right was the only hit allowed by Guntz, who pitched the final 3 2/3 innings. But Chatsworth batters were just as stumped by Grubman (8-3), who had only three strikeouts but did not allow more than one runner an inning after the second. Brett Munster, who was stranded at second after a leadoff single in the fifth, was the only Chatsworth batter to advance past first base.

``I thought about it ever since the last out of the Poly (quarterfinal) game,'' Grubman said. ``I knew I had to keep my pitches down and hit my spots. I was ready. ... And my defense helped me a lot. They were tremendous behind me.''

The Cavaliers turned three double plays, threw out a runner trying to steal and did not commit an error. The fundamentally sound play leaves Cleveland confident heading into the final. Then again, the Cavaliers have been confident from the start.

``Just getting in, whatever seed, was all that we wanted,'' Grubman said. ``We just needed a chance and we thought we could get here. Nothing but the top would have done. We still have to win Tuesday. We aren't satisfied yet.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Robert Marcial jumps into the arms of teammates after Cleveland beat Chatsworth to advance to the title game.

(2) Cleveland second baseman Armando Contreras throws to first after a forceout.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer