Schelb Provides a Thrill Before Moorpark Exits

During some pregame banter on the Moorpark College bench Friday morning, Coach Ken Wagner kiddingly asked Henry Schelb, one of his top hitters, when Schelb was going to start driving in runners from second base.

“When am I going to get more than one at-bat?” Schelb lightly parried.

On his second at-bat against El Camino, Schelb not only fulfilled his coach’s request but exceeded it when he drove in runners from first and second with a two-out, two-strike triple that boosted Moorpark from a one-run deficit to a one-run lead in the top of the ninth.

Moorpark, which was considered the visitor despite playing on its home field, went on to beat El Camino, 5-3, in 10 innings and advance to the consolation championship game of the Channel Coast tournament later in the day. Schelb, who had played less than usual while Wagner gave other players a chance in the tournament, finished four for six in the second game, but Moorpark lost, 19-11, to Shasta.

The second game, in which Wagner started numerous reserves, proved somewhat anticlimactic after the earlier victory. Moorpark had needed a win in the morning game to stay alive in the tournament.

Against El Camino, Schelb’s hit came after 8 2/3 frustrating innings in which Moorpark scored one run.

“We’ve been getting on him for a while about leaving guys on in scoring position,” Wagner said of Schelb. “He tries to do too much in that situation.”

When Schelb strode to the plate with two outs in the ninth, Mike Suarez stood on second and Jason Jones on first, both having singled. Schelb said he was still thinking about what he considered an ill-advised cutoff he had made when El Camino’s second run scored.

“I wanted to get up there with runners in scoring position and redeem myself,” Schelb said. “I was just thinking base hit somewhere. . . . The guy made a mistake and threw it down the middle.”

Schelb laced a triple to the wall in left-center to give Moorpark a 3-2 lead. El Camino (12-16) scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, but Moorpark answered with two runs in the 10th.

Suarez, shortstop Dan Smith and center fielder Jason Jones all had two hits against El Camino, and Moorpark finished with 10.

Freshman right-hander John Dickinson (3-0) pitched six innings of two-run relief to earn the win. Moorpark starter Rob Teasdale allowed one run in four innings.

“I thought our pitchers pitched great,” Wagner said. “I think the biggest thing was Dickinson keeping us in the ballgame.”

Moorpark’s pitching was as bad in the second game as it was good in the first. After Steve Biggs and Mike Goldstein allowed 19 runs in the first four innings, two infielders followed on the mound.

“Trying to bring Biggs and Goldstein back after they threw Wednesday was not a good thing to do, but it was all we could do,” said Wagner, whose team played four tournament games in three days.

Third baseman Darin Furlong shut out Shasta (13-14) for 4 2/3 innings, and second baseman Suarez pitched a scoreless ninth.

Moorpark (19-11) finished 2-2 in the tournament. Riverside won the championship by beating Citrus.