SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Edison Loses Lead and Game : Simi Valley, Trailing by 5-0, Comes Back to Beat Chargers, 7-6

Just when it appeared Simi Valley High School’s roller-coaster baseball season would derail Friday afternoon, the Pioneers found an unexpected hero from the bullpen.

Sophomore Richard Langford pitched 5 innings of solid relief, and the Pioneers came back to defeat Edison, 7-6, in a Southern Section 4-A playoff game at Simi Valley.

Simi Valley (20-6) will play El Dorado in the second round Tuesday. Edison, which finished third in the Sunset League, finished the season at 16-12.

Langford (3-1), who replaced starter Scott Sharts, entered a 5-5 game in the third inning with one out and runners on first and second. Langford gave up a walk and a fielder’s choice as Edison took a 6-5 lead.

But Langford retired 13 of the final 14 batters, and Simi Valley scored two runs in the fifth on a wild pitch by Frank Vidales (2-4) and a sacrifice fly by Joe Gallegos for the victory.

“Richard was supurb,” Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers said. “To put a sophomore in a position like that and have him respond is tremendous.”

Langford, who had hurt his pitching arm on a car door earlier in the week, said he didn’t expect to be used Friday.

Said Scyphers: “Most kids play better when something’s bothering them.”

Edison appeared ready to put the Pioneers away early. In the second inning, Edison scored five runs off Sharts, who entered the game with a 9-3 record.

Bernie Colacchio opened the inning with a double to left, and Jon Martin walked. While facing Terrence Tewell, Sharts threw a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop and came back toward catcher Tim Laker, who threw to third. Laker’s throw beat Colacchio, but the ball went off the glove of third baseman Darren Lloyd.

Tewell then hit a slow ground ball to Lloyd, whose throw to first baseman Scott Cunningham was in the dirt to load the bases.

Mike Guccione, Edison’s starting pitcher, then drove in all three runners with a double off the right-field fence. John Bammer homered to right for the 5-0 lead.

But the Pioneers, who set a single-season team record for home runs with 34, responded with five runs off Guccione (6-3) in their half of the second.

Lloyd hit a three-run home run and Gallegos hit an RBI double to make it 5-4. Darren Aurand, who had walked and moved to third on Gallegos’ double, scored the tying run from third on a misplayed ground ball.