Mohney Exits Early During Canyons Loss : Coach Is Ejected in 2nd WSC Defeat

One look at Santa Monica’s Marine Park, with its rock-hard infield and soggy outfield, told College of the Canyons Coach Len Mohney that Thursday wasn’t going to be his day.

“Let’s just play this game and get out of here as quick as we can,” Mohney said after his pregame inspection of the treacherous playing conditions.

Much to Mohney’s surprise, the field was not a problem. But much to his dismay, he got out of there quicker than he would have liked in Canyons’ 3-2, Western State Conference loss to Santa Monica.

It was only the second conference loss for Canyons, (26-6-1, 20-2-1), which already has won the WSC Southern Division championship. Santa Monica improved to 24-12, 17-6.

With one out and a man on first in a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh, base umpire Dave Castaneda ejected Mohney for protesting too loudly a close pickoff call at first. Canyons pitcher Jeff Ward nearly had Santa Monica baserunner Kenny Kamba picked off twice. When Castaneda ruled Kamba safe again on a third throw to first, Mohney came out of the dugout in a rage.

After a brief argument, Mohney settled back onto the bench. But when Leonard Matsumoto singled and the baserunners moved to second and third on a throwing error, Mohney erupted again.

“Now you see what you’ve done,” Mohney hollered to Castaneda.

“You want to talk to me, come out here,” Castaneda shouted back.

“OK, I will,” Mohney said as he charged the umpire, who quickly thumbed Mohney out of the game.

The next batter, Jorge Padilla, knocked in Kamba with a sacrifice fly for the winning run. But it took some fine defense and a solid relief job by left-hander Darrell Wagner (9-4) to hold off Canyons.

With one out in the eighth, Kamba, the first baseman, made a lunging catch of a Len Hokanson line drive. Joe Pieper walked, but Wagner picked him off for the third out.

Wagner walked Andy Cutchall to open the ninth, but Mike Bible’s line drive was caught by shortstop Howard Pechter, who doubled Cutchall at first. Santa Monica third baseman Henry Campos was hit in the groin by a hard grounder from Roger Nix and managed to throw him out to end the game before he doubled over in pain.

It was the third defensive gem turned in by Campos, who drew Mohney’s praise.

“He made three diving plays that saved runs,” Mohney said. “It was a good game. They played great, especially their third baseman.”

“We were very lucky, but that’s part of the game,” Santa Monica Coach Marty Berson said of the close calls at first base. “We got the calls. Early in the season we lost games that way. It all evens out.”

Mohney refused to blame the umpires for the defeat and praised Santa Monica starting pitcher Chris Domingue, who allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 innings.

“Don’t take anything away from them,” Mohney said. “They beat us, not the umpires. Their starter surprised me. He kept the ball low and changed speeds. And we’ve got to do the little things better. We missed two hit-and-runs and got thrown out both times.”

Ward (6-1) went the distance, allowing one earned run--a third-inning home run by Derek Moore--while striking out five and walking one. Ward hurt himself by committing an error on a routine grounder to the mound in the fifth. The runner eventually scored on a ground out by Padilla for a 2-0 Santa Monica lead.

Canyons, which had seven hits, came back with single runs in the sixth and seventh on sacrifice flies by Pieper and Mark Gieseke.