Moorpark Defeats Valley, Remains in First-Place Tie

After spending 20 years coaching at the high school level, it has taken less than a season for Ken Wagner to notice a difference in his first year at Moorpark College.

“There is no safe lead in junior college,” said Wagner, who coached Camarillo High for the past eight seasons. “Anything can happen. Everybody has the potential to hit. It’s kind of scary. Leads just don’t last.”

On Saturday, Moorpark erased a 5-2 third-inning deficit, scoring eight runs over the next four innings, en route to a 13-9 Western State Conference victory over Valley at Moorpark.

The Raiders (12-6, 7-1 in conference) maintained a share of the WSC lead with Cuesta, a 10-5 winner over Canyons.

Moorpark collected 18 hits off four pitchers, including seven for extra bases. Darin Furlong (two runs batted in) and Terry Hill each had four hits.

“Everybody is hitting right now,” Furlong said. “We have tremendous confidence. We can depend on anyone.”

Moorpark belted three doubles and sent 10 batters to the plate in a four-run fifth inning that gave the Raiders an 11-5 lead. Two runs scored on Furlong’s double and Jason Jones and Ken Knight doubled to score two more.

Moorpark reliever John Dickinson (1-0) allowed a run in the third inning but held the Monarchs scoreless until the eighth when he was tagged for three runs.

Valley (6-14-2, 2-5), the recipient of seven walks in the first three innings, scored two runs in each of the first two innings and a run in the third. But the Monarchs left the bases loaded in the second and third and stranded eight runners in the game.

“I feel good about the way we played today,” said Valley Coach Chris Johnson, whose team lost, 11-3, to Pierce on Thursday and suffered its third conference loss in a row.

“After the pounding we took against Pierce, we could have gone into the tank. We battled back and didn’t give up. I’m proud of us. We just had some problems with our pitching.”

Mark Caveretta was three for four and E. J. Pape had two doubles to lead Valley’s 14-hit attack.