Newbury Park’s Win Comes With the Territory

Gary Fabricius, baseball coach at Newbury Park High, called it, “a quirk.” Newbury Park pitcher Jeff Berman simply called it home.

After playing their first three Marmonte League games on the road and then traveling to Glendale for a tournament during Easter vacation, the Panthers returned Wednesday to Newbury Park.

“We’ve been playing all away games,” Berman said after the Panthers took just 90 minutes to deal Royal a 6-0 defeat, “which might be why we’re struggling.”

Were struggling.

Newbury Park, playing the first of six consecutive league games at home, improved to 9-7 and lifted itself back into the league race at 2-2.

“It’s a quirk in the schedule,” Fabricius said. “I told the kids that we have a six-game home stand so we better do something with it. And this was a good start.”

Berman pitched a complete game for his third win in six decisions. He struck out seven and gave up four hits--three in the last two innings. The senior right-hander shut out Thousand Oaks in Newbury Park’s previous league win.

“He’s the type of player who’s not going to hurt himself,” Royal Coach Mike McCurdy said. “He’s a competitor. The game was his from the very first pitch.”

Berman was able to confuse the Highlanders with off-speed pitches delivered from a variety of angles and a deceptively quick fastball. He did not allow a baserunner past first through the first five innings and pitched out of a one-out bases-loaded situation in the sixth.

“I feel comfortable in tight situations, like the bases loaded and one out,” Berman said. “No doubt.”

There was also no doubt about hits by Newbury Park’s Geoff Black and Chris Fick.

In the second inning, after singles by Wayne Cook and Fick, , Black hit the first pitch from Royal pitcher John Ward over the 310-foot mark in left field for a three-run homer.

The Panthers scored a run on an error in the third and Fick, who was 3 for 3, flicked a curve to center field for a two-run homer in the fifth to make the score 6-0. Black and Fick each have two home runs.

The Nos. 5 through 7 batters in the Panthers’ lineup accounted for six of the team’s seven hits. Lead-off hitter Dan Smith had the other, a single in the first.

“It pumps me up,” Berman said of the support. “It makes me want to work harder for the shutout. Home runs are nice.”

Lately, home runs are foreign to McCurdy. The Highlanders (9-5, 1-2 in league play) are 2-5 since starting 7-0, primarily because of their lack of offense.

“It’s tough to go out and have to pitch a shutout every time,” McCurdy said. “We have to generate some offense. But, it’s a bigger problem than that. We don’t play with enthusiasm. I don’t know why.”