Simi Valley Falls on Walk in 7th Inning

Simi Valley High pitcher Mike Laker walked home the winning run with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning to hand Colonial a 4-3 win over the Pioneers in a semifinal round game of the Colonial tournament in Orlando, Fla.

“We beat ourselves,” Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers said. “We didn’t execute in the seventh. We would feel better if they hit one over the fence to beat us.”

Laker pitched Simi Valley out of a jam in the fourth, when he relieved starter Rich Langford with no out and two runners on base. He held Colonial scoreless in the inning and allowed only one run until the seventh.

Mario Linares walked to lead off the seventh, however, and Laker made a throwing error on a bunt by the next Colonial batter. Brian Poppe sacrificed the runners to second and third, and an intentional walk loaded the bases.

Linares scored on a wild pitch to tie the score, and after another intentional walk and a force out, Laker walked Todd Staats on a 3-2 pitch to force home the winning run.

Simi Valley (14-2), the defending tournament champion and The Times’ top-ranked Valley team, opened the scoring with two runs in the second. With two out, Dave Sullivan singled home Scott Sharts, who had walked, and Joe Gallegos, who had singled.

Simi Valley took a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Tim Laker, Sharts, and Greg Gerber hit consecutive singles for one run. After Darren Lloyd walked to load the bases, Gallegos bounced into a double play.

Simi Valley, which had a 13-game winning streak snapped, plays today at 4 p.m. PDT in the semifinals of the third-place bracket against the winner of a game between Boone High of Orlando, and Campo Lindo, Calif.