Simi Valley Defeated by Single Swing

Sabrina O’Beirne of Thousand Oaks High stepped back into the batter’s box after having fouled off several pitches in a row with the count full.

She hit the ball fair this time and left the box. By the time she stepped into the box again, she was one step away from touching the plate, having rounded the bases after a swing that was as full as the count had been.

O’Beirne’s third-inning home run was her first of the season and gave Thousand Oaks a 1-0 victory Tuesday over Simi Valley in a pivotal Marmonte League game at Thousand Oaks.

Thousand Oaks (13-6, 4-2 in league play) is ranked sixth in the Southern Section 4-A Division and Simi Valley (15-7, 5-2) is ranked seventh.

“It was full-contact, definitely,” O’Beirne said. “I wasn’t nervous, really with the full count. I just said to myself, ‘I have to hit it, I have to get a hit.’ ”

O’Beirne’s homer to center was one of just three hits given up by Simi Valley’s Chrissy Oliver. Although she did not walk a batter, Oliver (15-6) also went without any strikeouts for the first time this season.

The junior left-hander, however, did not begrudge O’Beirne her home run.

“That was a good rip,” Oliver said. “It was a curveball and there was nothing on it. That’s what happens in the game, though. One bad pitch is all it takes to lose.”

Or, one bad call, as Simi Valley Coach Suzanne Manlet would contend.

“We got robbed. This game should not be over,” she said. “We should be in extra innings.”

Manlet’s anger stemmed from a close play in the fifth inning, when the Pioneers had the bases loaded after Vicki Dupree got a two-out single and Oliver and Gina Skinner both walked.

The next batter, junior Denise Swank, hit a ground ball to second baseman Marsha Bour. Swank appeared to have just beaten Bour’s throw to first, but the base umpire called her out to end the inning.

“Denise is our most aggressive baserunner, the best baserunner we have,” Manlet said. “When he called her out, I freaked. I just couldn’t believe it.”

But Thousand Oaks Coach Chuck Brown will take it.

“I wasn’t in a very good position to see it,” he said. “But I wouldn’t want to be the one to have to make that call, I know that.”

Thousand Oaks benefited from a three-hitter by right-hander Shireen Campbell, who walked five but struck out six.

“What won it today was good pitching and good defense,” Brown said. “These kind of games are going to be the rule, rather than the exception, when these two teams play each other. They’re both good teams.