Thousand Oaks Overcomes Erratic Defense to Advance to 5-A Semifinals in Softball

Usually, when the Thousand Oaks High softball team throws the ball around behind pitcher Alicia Zinner, it’s after a strikeout, something the Lancers had only five opportunities to do Thursday against Marina High.

So, perhaps compelled by boredom, the Marmonte League champions played it fast and loose on the infield with balls in play, and in doing so were nearly eliminated from postseason contention.

Thousand Oaks, which has a reputation for good defense, committed four errors but still managed a 4-3 decision over visiting Marina in a Southern Section 5-A Division quarterfinal playoff game. The Lancers (25-5) will play St. Joseph of Lakewood in the semifinals Tuesday at a site to be determined.

Thousand Oaks pushed over the winning run in the sixth inning when Lisa Stoddard scored on a one-out single by Shani Smyth off losing pitcher Willa Parchen.

Stoddard was pinch-running for Jenny Hicks, Thousand Oaks’ ninth-place hitter who had led off the inning with a walk. Stoddard was moved into scoring position on an infield single by Amy Chellevold and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Franco.

But the Lancers’ shoddy play in the field dismayed Coach Chuck Brown.

“That was our worst fielding game of the year,” he said. “We made physical errors as well as mental errors. We just don’t usually do that.”

Fortunately for the Lancers, defensive order was restored at a most opportune time--in the last inning.

Renee Kirby, Marina’s ninth-place batter, led off the seventh with a single up the middle, only the third hit off Zinner. Christa Yorke then hit a ground ball that Thousand Oaks shortstop Phronsie Franco misplayed for her third error of the game.

The miscue was compounded when Franco held the ball while sulking after her mistake, which allowed Kirby to continue all the way to third.

Franco quickly made retribution, however. Yorke tried to steal second but Franco took the throw from catcher Sabrina O’Beirne and applied the tag for the out so quickly that Kirby had to hold at third.

Sandra Ross then hit a grounder to Franco, who caught Kirby breaking for the plate and forced a rundown. Kirby was out on a throw from O’Beirne to third baseman Tricia Gregoire, who then turned and whipped a throw to second base in time to double up Ross trying to sneak into scoring position.

“It was a tough way to go down,” said Susie Calderon, Marina’s coach. “In crucial situations you tend to get antsy as a baserunner. We took leadoffs (that were too big) and that’s what got us.”

The same aggressive play also allowed the Vikings (18-10) to get the maximum out of the minimum on offense.

Through four innings Zinner (22-5) had allowed only one hit but was locked in a 3-3 tie.

The hit was a well-timed triple up the left-center-field gap in the fourth inning by Julie Muche, Marina’s designated-hitter. The drive scored Mindy Burgess, who had walked to lead off the inning, and Becky Toler, who had reached first on a fielder’s choice.

But with Muche--the go-ahead run--on third and none out, Marina self-destructed. Julie Luft struck out, bringing up Susan Walter, who had struck out in her first at-bat.

Figuring it might be her team’s last chance to push over a run, Calderon called for the suicide squeeze. Walter missed, and Muche was marooned in a rundown. Two pitches later, Walter hit a ground ball that Franco booted for an error, but Zinner got out of the inning with the score still tied.