Baseball: Enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of spring

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Ahhhh, springtime is in the air. The temperature finally broke 80 degrees for three straight days, wildflowers are in full bloom and I can spit sunflower seed shells wherever I want now that baseball season has arrived.

I’m here at Boysen Park in the shadows of Angel Stadium, watching Thousand Oaks and Capistrano Valley in a real pitcher’s duel at the Anaheim Lions tournament.

The only problem is Capistrano Valley is throwing a sophomore right-hander named Lee Casas, who was called up from the junior varsity for the game, according to Lee’s mother, who is nervously keeping score. Lee is 6-foot-5 and has pretty good stuff, getting Thousand Oaks in order in the first, but then allowing a run on a wild pitch in the top of the third. That’s where we stand, 1-0, heading into the bottom of the third.

Thousand Oaks is throwing USC-bound right-hander Chad Smith, who has pitched out of jams in the first and second innings.

Both of these teams lost this morning when their opponents scored in their final at-bats. Capistrano Valley gave up a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth and lost to Mater Dei, 3-0.

Thousand Oaks gift-wrapped a 4-3 victory to Lakewood earlier today, according to one Thousand Oaks supporter.

Think I’ll go get a refill on those seeds.

-- Dan Arritt

-- Image from simmerdown.files.wordpress.com