Rio Mesa Remains in 1st-Place Tie

Rio Mesa High’s game plan for Tuesday’s Channel League game at Ventura was simple: hit the ball.

The Spartans did not merely follow the instructions, they exceeded them, as Dmitri Young and brothers Daric and Damon Dicus each homered, leading Rio Mesa to a 9-3 victory.

The strategy came about as a result of the Spartans’ first meeting with Ventura on April 8. Rio Mesa batters struck out 13 times in a 20-5 loss.

“We don’t try for home runs, just line drives,” said Damon Dicus, whose three-run seventh-inning homer put the game out of reach. Young and Daric Dicus each hit solo home runs.

The win kept the Spartans (15-6-1, 8-2-1) tied atop the league standings with Hueneme (14-7-1, 8-2-1), a 7-6 winner over San Marcos on Tuesday. Both teams have three games to play and meet May 10 at Hueneme.

Ventura (15-6-1, 7-3-1) fell into a third-place tie with Buena, which defeated Santa Barbara, 3-1.

Rio Mesa’s unexpected power backed Anthony Espinoza’s four innings of one-hit relief. Espinoza (3-1) allowed only Brian Barron’s fourth-inning single and a fifth-inning walk to Steve Dailey. He also hit pinch-hitter Harvey Jones in the seventh, but no runner advanced past first base.

“He threw very well,” Rio Mesa Coach Rich Duran said. “He’s capable of doing that every time. His changeup was very effective.”

Ventura starter Dean McMillin, who pitched a complete game in Ventura’s earlier win over Rio Mesa, proved incapable of getting anyone out.

McMillin (5-4) opened the game by walking Juan Cuellar and David Frazier. Then his defense betrayed him. Barron, the second baseman, made an errant throw attempting to force Frazier at second, allowing Cuellar to score.

Damon Dicus followed with a double to score Frazier. Steve Soliz singled to bring home Young and send McMillin to the bench.

Reliever David Eggert induced Daric Dicus to ground into a double play, but Damon Dicus scored the inning’s fourth run on the play.

Ventura showed some power when Darrell McMillin belted a solo homer off starter Darren Spiller in the second inning. Lawrence Cottrell doubled and scored one out later on Karl Mahler’s single.

Dailey, the county’s leading hitter with a .575 average, was ejected after upending shortstop Brian Beltramo while breaking up a double play in the fifth. Dailey, who played fullback and linebacker for Ventura last fall, was ejected the first time the teams met for running over Rio Mesa’s catcher.