Simi Valley Pulls Out a 3-2 Win : Pioneers Tie It in 7th; Sharts Wins It in 9th

Opponents have had a hard time figuring out Simi Valley High pitcher Scott Radinsky all season.

But late Friday afternoon at Simi Valley, Radinsky was the one who couldn’t come up with an answer.

Asked for an explanation to the Pioneers’ late-inning magic, Radinsky said with a smile, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

For the third straight time in the Southern Section’s 4-A Division playoffs, Simi Valley used its last at-bat to pull out a dramatic win. One out away from elimination in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Pioneers tied the game, then defeated Ocean View, 3-2, on Scott Sharts’ 410-foot home run leading off the bottom of the ninth.

The top-ranked Pioneers (26-3) next play Esperanza in the semifinals Tuesday at a site to be determined. Esperanza defeated Rowland on Friday, 7-2.

“We have some outstanding clutch players on this team,” Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers said.

None were more clutch against the Seahawks than Radinsky, Sharts and Shaun Murphy.

Radinsky, a senior left-hander, was outstanding, allowing only two hits in nine innings to improve his record to 14-1. Radinsky, who has all three playoff wins, had a no-hitter for 5 innings before Phil Chess singled home a run to tie the score at 1-1. Radinsky then walked the next two batters to force in a run and give Ocean View a 2-1 lead.

That set the stage for Sharts and Murphy in the bottom of the seventh. Sharts, a sophomore first baseman, led off the inning with a single. Four batters and two outs later, Murphy singled to left to send the game into extra innings.

Radinsky breezed through the eighth and ninth innings, allowing only another single to Chess.

Sharts then settled the issue by hitting reliever Brett Johnson’s second pitch deep over the fence in left-center field. It was his second home run of the playoffs and sixth of the season.

“It was a fastball, right down the pipe,” Sharts said. “I wasn’t thinking home run, I was just thinking base hit. That’s the first time I’ve ever won a game like that.”

Ocean View Coach Bill Gibbons knew the source of his team’s minuscule offense.

“That leftie over there,” he said, pointing to Radinsky. “He’s a hoss.”

Gibbons had a hoss of his own in David Holdridge, who was pitching for the first time in a month because of assorted injuries.

Holdridge went six strong innings for Ocean View (19-5-1), allowing five hits, while striking out 11.

It was a Holdridge balk in the third that gave Simi Valley its first run. With one out, Von Herron walked and went to second on Mike Hankins’ groundout. Murphy singled infield to move Herron to third.

While pitching to Dave Milstien, Holdridge had Murphy picked off first base, but was called for a balk for making a motion toward the plate.

That one run looked like it would be good enough for Radinsky, whose only problem on the day was his control. He walked eight and struck out 11.

Radinsky walked Mike Fyhrie to lead off the sixth, but then threw Fyhrie out at second on a bunt by David Leonhardt. Bill Daymude was out an a tapper in front of the plate, moving Leonhardt to second.

Scyphers then decided to have cleanup hitter Jeff Sherwood intentionally walked. Chess followed with his game-tying single to right.

Radinsky walked Eric Christopherson to load the bases, then lost Mike Abascal on a 3-2 pitch. It was the first time this season Radinsky had walked in a run.

After Sharts’ single to begin the seventh, Brent Knackert came in to pitch. Knackert caught a bunt by Tim Laker and had pinch-runner Greg Gerber doubled off first. But Knackert bobbled the ball while trying to throw, allowing Gerber to get back to first safely. Herron hit into a force play for the second out and went to second on Hankins’ walk.

On a 1-0 pitch, Murphy singled to left to score Herron. Hankins, trying to reach third on the play, was thrown out, seconds after Herron touched the plate for the tying run.

“I just want to get past the next game,” Sharts said. “I can see Dodger Stadium in my eyes.”

A win Tuesday and that’s where the Pioneers will be next Saturday for the championship game.