STATE JUNIOR COLLEGE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP : Thomas Tires, Moorpark’s Good Year Comes to End

The Moorpark College Lady Raiders were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t in the state softball championship.

Each win would bring them closer to the title but would also mean at least seven more innings for overworked Robin Thomas, their only starting pitcher.

Thomas (28-8) finally ran out of gas Saturday late in an 8-3 loss to Golden West that eliminated Moorpark from the tournament. The Lady Raiders finished 30-11.

Most of the other schools in the eight-team field were armed with two quality pitchers, the importance of which was not lost on Moorpark Coach Will Thurston.

“You need to have two strong pitchers, or one that is considered a bionic woman,” Thurston said. “I haven’t seen a team at this level that’s been able to do that.

“Our primary goal is to win the state championship. We’re knocking at the door, but we haven’t had enough ammunition.”

Thurston couldn’t fault his offense Saturday. The three runs marked Moorpark’s best output of the tournament, and the Lady Raiders rallied twice to tie the score before Golden West (35-15) scored five runs in the top of the seventh.

Golden West took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, but Moorpark rallied in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Chris Singer led off with a single off Pam Fogg and advanced to second on a single by catcher Missy Cress. After a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Gina Duarte moved the runners to second and third, Denise White hit a sacrifice fly that scored Singer.

With two out in the sixth, Lisa Kaufman belted Thomas’ first pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run home run and Golden West led, 3-1.

Moorpark rallied in the bottom of the sixth against Kaufman (24-8), who had replaced Fogg to start the inning. With one out, right fielder Tami Harp reached base on an error, stole second, and moved to third when center fielder Jamie Heggen beat out a grounder along the first-base line. Heggen, however, sustained a pulled hamstring and had to be replaced by pinch-runner Melissa Maples.

After Thomas struck out, Singer walked to load the bases and Cress followed with a two-run single to shallow left that tied the score, 3-3.

But Golden West sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh and turned five hits, a walk, and an error into five runs.