Simi Valley Continues First-Round Mastery

If this is the playoffs, that must be Simi Valley High moving into the second round.

In the 11 seasons since Mike Scyphers took over as coach of the program, the Pioneers have been to the playoffs nine times. They have yet to lose a first-round game.

The never-say-choke trend continued Friday at Simi Valley where the Pioneers spotted St. Francis three first-inning runs, then rallied to beat the Golden Knights, 8-3, in a Southern Section 5-A Division first-round game.

St. Francis, the third-place representative from the Del Rey League, scored three times against Simi Valley starter Rich Langford. The Golden Knights sent nine batters to the plate, but it was Scyphers who was unworried and St. Francis Coach Tom Moran who wanted the team bus warmed.

Scyphers said that he would have been concerned if the first-inning damage had been greater.

“With our offense the three runs, for the most part, won’t beat us,” he said.

Said Moran: “We were thinking of running out to the bus between innings.”

Langford started for Simi Valley because scheduled starter Mike Jenkins was being disciplined for his behavior in a team practice Wednesday. Jenkins, who plays center field when not pitching, was replaced there, too.

Scyphers declined to elaborate but said that because of his behavior, “Jenkins chose not to start.”

Jenkins did, however, finish.

Langford, whose right shoulder is still sore from a hyperextension he suffered in the middle of the Marmonte League season, battled his control. In the first inning he walked three batters, hit one and gave up two singles.

Terry Hill, whose six saves lead the Pioneers, was called upon to finish off St. Francis’ Mike Rendon with two out and the bases loaded in the first. Rendon, who had worked the count to three-and-one against Langford before Hill entered the game, struck out on a high fastball.

Simi Valley (22-3) answered with two runs in its half of the first, two more in the third and four in the fourth. Langford came back to pitch the second but was replaced by Jenkins in the third. In his five innings, Jenkins (9-0) allowed one hit and struck out six. He pitched to the minimum nine batters in the final three innings. St. Francis (12-8-1) managed only four hits in the game.

“He’s a very fine pitcher,” Moran said of Jenkins. “Physically, he’s not tougher than other kids we’ve faced. But mentally, he kept us off balance.”

Jenkins said that he had to block out the events of his brief punishment before settling into a rhythm.

“Coming into the game, it was still on my mind,” he said. “When I went out to warm up, I knew I had to put all that behind me.”

And what awaited was some high-powered offensive support. Andy Hodgins had three hits and knocked in a run, Hill had a run-scoring triple in the third and drove in three runs, and Jesse Anguiano, Chadd Johnson and Kenny Hood each had two hits. Simi Valley’s first five batters in the order had 10 hits, scored seven runs and drove in seven.

“In high school you just need to put the ball in play,” Scyphers said. “Fortunately our top five batters really did a nice job for us.”

The Pioneers will play Baldwin Park in the second round Tuesday.