Preps HIGHLIGHTS : Simi Loses Again to Arch Rival

Perhaps the Simi Valley High baseball team was reminded of its mortality when it lost for the first time this season Saturday in the final game of the Sylvester Easter Tournament in Las Vegas.

And perhaps a little extra adrenaline was pumping through the Royal Highlanders when they saw the standing-room-only crowd wrapped around the Simi field Wednesday.

Or maybe Royal, with four sophomores in the starting lineup, was just too young to know any better.

Whatever the reason, it was a time of reckoning for the cross-town rivals.

Lowly Royal (5-10) defeated mighty Simi (18-1), the No. 2-ranked team in the Southern Section 4-A, 12-9. It was the first time the Highlanders had beaten the Pioneers in five years.

Senior Dave Raper, who enjoyed the victory over Simi, picked up the win for Royal after allowing only two runs over the final 4 innings.

“Raper got pumped up the last two innings,” said Simi Coach Mike Scyphers. “It looked like he wanted this one bad.”

After allowing three straight hits to begin the seventh, Raper bore down, getting a ground out before striking out the final two hitters.

And it was Raper leading the Royal offense, singling twice. Rob Martin and Mike Maciel also hit safely twice for the Highlanders, with Maciel adding three RBIs.

The game-winning hit came in the sixth inning. With the score tied, 8-8, second baseman Chris Davis singled in two runs.

Sean Harrigan (7-2), the last of three Simi pitchers, took the loss.

Dave Milstein doubled twice and singled, Mike Hankins singled three times, and Tom Sullivan doubled and singled for Simi.

Eight Royal walks and four Simi errors contributed to the outcome.

“We dropped balls all over the place,” said Scyphers. “Six of their last seven runs were unearned.

“We approached this as just another league game. But it made Royal’s season--they shoot for us all year. Plus, with the win, they have a chance to make the playoffs.”

Simi Valley is half a game ahead of Thousand Oaks in the Marmonte League standings with a 4-1 record. Royal is 3-2 in league play.

Th. Oaks 10, Channel Is. 5

Thousand Oaks improved its Marmonte League record to 3-1 as the Lancers romped over Channel Islands at home behind a home run and four RBIs by Kevin Medeiros.

Medeiros, a junior outfielder, singled in a run to cap a four-run first inning, and then slugged the game-winning hit in the fifth inning--a three-run homer over the center field fence.

Eddie Hall doubled twice and singled to drive in two runs for Thousand Oaks, and teammate Greg Hansen doubled.

Senior Anthony Mohr (3-3) picked up the win for Thousand Oaks (9-8 overall), though he needed help from Jerry Tolman and Mike McNeil in the seventh inning.

Channel Islands is 0-5 in league play.

Hoover 2, Viewpoint 1

Hoover High handed Viewpoint its first loss of the season, while maintaining an unblemished record with a nonleague win at home.

Heidi Herbert hurled a complete-game victory for Hoover, and went 3 for 3 at the plate. Herbert allowed five hits and struck out three.

Roxana Rafik, the losing pitcher, was victimized by five Viewpoint errors. Liesl Dano singled twice for Viewpoint.