SPRING HIGHLIGHTS : Willis Leads Camarillo Past Millikan, 6-5

Credit Travis Willis with determination. The right-handed pitcher, who picked up the win last Friday for Camarillo High in the opening round of the Southern Section 4-A Division baseball playoffs, came back to hurl four innings of nearly flawless ball on Tuesday night to preserve a 6-5 win over Long Beach Millikan at Blair Field in Long Beach.

Willis (11-3) retired the final 10 batters he faced. He entered the game in relief of starter Mike Chase.

“He wants to pitch. He wanted to start tonight,” Camarillo Coach Ken Wagner said about Willis. “I admire him. There are a lot of pitchers out there that are prima donnas and pitch here or there, but Willis wants to play all the time.”

Millikan Coach Dan Peters witnessed his worst fears when he saw Willis take the mound in the top of the fourth, a runner on first base and no one out.

“We thought we could do some things early in the game before they used their ace (Willis),” he said. “And we did. But then he came in and closed the door.”

Millikan opened the scoring with a run in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Leadoff hitter Mike Polizzi walked, advanced to second base on a fielder’s choice and then went to third on a wild pitch by Chase. Ralph Lakin lifted a soft fly ball to right field where Jim King made the catch, but the relay throw was too late to get Polizzi

The Rams added a pair of runs in the third inning on four hits, the biggest, a two-out triple to right by catcher Rick Fulton that scored Rick Keester from first. Lakin drove in Fulton with a single to center over the glove of Chase and under the outstretched glove of shortstop Ken Sirak.

Camarillo chased Millikan starter Phil Kendall with two runs in its half of the fourth inning, but Millikan got them back in its half.