Camarillo’s Playoff Day Is Almost a Total Loss, 22-5

Camarillo was spared complete frustration Friday shortly before the team lost, 22-5, to Woodland Hills at the American Legion’s Sixth Area playoffs.

Rosemary De La Torre, one of Camarillo’s fans, won $41 in a raffle at the game. Otherwise, for Camarillo, Jackie Robinson Stadium at UCLA was the site of a total loss.

“At least you guys are winning something, “ said Julio Yniquez, the state American Legion commissioner, who handed De La Torre her raffle winnings.

Camarillo’s baseball team wasn’t as lucky. It suffered its worst beating of the season, and two of its coaches made early exits.

Meanwhile, Woodland Hills earned a bye until Sunday’s 10 a.m. championship game.

Camarillo Coach Jack Willard was ejected after contesting a call in the sixth inning. Interim coach Dan Anderson was kicked out after talking to the umpires at the end of the seventh as darkness threatened to suspend the game.

The umpires said Anderson wanted to be thrown out in order to leave Camarillo with no coaches, causing a forfeit according to American Legion rules.

The game was practically over by then anyway. Woodland Hills was so good that the right arm of Coach Marc Hersh was more tired than the right arm of starter Pablo Suarez, who pitched six innings to get an easy win.

Hersh wore his arm out in the third base coaching box, waving runners home.

“They didn’t have enough lights in the scoreboard,” assistant coach Mitch Fair said. The scoreboard at UCLA can only display up to 19 runs and 19 hits. Woodland Hills had 21 hits.

Leading 5-3, Woodland Hills batted had a walk, two singles, a double, a triple and a home run in the bottom of the third to score six runs and put the game out of reach.

Adam Schulhofer singled, Mike Urman doubled him in, and Chris Billig hit a run-scoring triple to start the inning. After Suarez scored Billig with a single, Rob Bumgarner hit his second home run of the tournament to make it 10-3.

Also on Friday, Hollywood defeated Westlake, 8-7, in 11 innings. The four teams left in the tournament other than Woodland Hills each have one loss. Arcadia plays Hollywood at 9:30 a.m. Saturday and Camarillo plays Westlake at 1 p.m. The winners of those games play again at 4:30.

“Hollywood really did us a favor,” Fair said. “We only have to win one game. Whoever else has to win four.

Whichever team reaches the final will have to beat undefeated Woodland Hills twice on Sunday to win the area championship. The area champion will advance to the state tournament on Aug. 9.

Hollywood defeated Westlake on a Royce Clayton single that scored Derrick Douglas from second.

Westlake pitcher Jon DeGennaro walked Douglas to lead off the bottom of the 11th. Catcher Jim Henderson fielded Troy Flemming’s short tapper and threw wildly trying to force Douglas at second, setting up Clayton for the game-winning hit.