Simi Valley Full of Second Helpings

Second-place finishes might be good enough for some coaches, but not for Simi Valley High softball Coach Suzanne Manlet.

The Pioneers, runners-up to Newbury Park in the Marmonte League last year, are on a mission of sorts this season. Simi Valley has finished second in the Marmonte League four consecutive times, and Manlet has no intention of tolerating another year in the shadow of the winner.

The Pioneers, who lost to Mater Dei, 3-2, in 10 innings, in the Southern Section 5-A Division quarterfinals last year, won Marmonte League titles in 1982 and ’83.

“Our kids are probably as tired as I am of finishing second,” said Manlet, who is in her 11th season. “We’ve had some good teams, but the competition in the Marmonte League has been great.”

The league includes three of the top 10 teams in the 5-A Division and is laden with talented pitchers and experienced players.

Newbury Park (ranked No. 2), Simi Valley (No. 5) and Agoura (No. 9) all boast outstanding pitchers. In softball, even more than in baseball, pitching is the name of the game. A mediocre team with a great pitcher can go far at the high school level, while a great team with an average pitcher usually will not enjoy the same success.

And no team in the area is better equipped--or has more depth--in the pitching department than the Pioneers (20-9 last season), who will employ a three-pitcher rotation.

Senior right-hander Heather Santiago (10-6), who had an earned-run average of 0.64 last year, headlines the cast and figures to be one of the top pitchers in Southern California. The four-year starter has attracted the interest of college recruiters from Arizona, Hawaii and San Diego State.

Santiago, who began pitching at age 6, sustained a torn quadriceps in her left leg a few weeks ago while running bases at practice. The injury has put her out of work for a while, but she should return to action in the next two to three weeks.

“She can work her upper body, but she still isn’t able to explode yet,” Manlet said. “I’m just happy she’s off the crutches.”

While Santiago heals, two capable pitchers will fill her place in the rotation. Junior Michele Castonguay (10-3, 0.45 ERA) threw seven shutouts last year, and is a solid hitter (.278 batting average, five doubles). Freshman Sara Griffin, who has been a surprise for Manlet, threw a one-hit shutout to beat Dos Pueblos, 7-0, in her high school debut last week.

Four starters in the field also return to give chase to that elusive league title: Catcher Kathy Beasley, an All-Southern Section selection last year after batting .348 with a team-high 16 runs batted in; junior shortstop and three-year starter Taina Tande (.300), who had 15 RBIs a year ago, will utilize her slap-hitting abilities as the leadoff batter; junior second baseman Amy Powell, who hit .137 a season ago; and senior left fielder Jennifer Hernandez, who hit .316 in 19 at-bats.

Other area programs to watch:

SOUTHERN SECTION

* Hart (Foothill League)--The Indians (27-4), who lost to Pacifica in the 4-A quarterfinals last year, have won four consecutive league titles and 33 consecutive league games.

However, both members of the four-year battery of pitcher Kym Weil and catcher Stephanie Keeler have graduated and play for Hawaii, leaving it up to the remaining Indians to win the school’s first Southern Section title.

Senior Krissy Carpenter, who was 5-1 as Weil’s backup the past two seasons, and sophomore Danielle Bragdon will share the pitching load.

Junior second baseman Jamie Dean, the team’s leading hitter last season, has had back-to-back record-setting seasons. Dean batted .402 as a freshman with a school-record 37 hits. A year later, she batted .465 and broke her record with 46 hits.

Senior Heather Mederis (.358) returns at first, and sophomore Kim Curtis (.284) moves from third base to catcher.

* Newbury Park (Marmonte League)--The defending league-champion Panthers (21-7), who fell to Marina, 1-0, in the 5-A championship last year, lost ace pitcher Lea Lopez (University of the Pacific) to graduation. But Sophie Sobol and Marcy James are solid replacements for the league’s most valuable player.

Sobol, a three-year starter in right field, has taken a back seat to Lopez for the past three years but is the Panthers’ No. 1 pitcher this year. Sobol, a finesse-type pitcher, and James (.307 in league play) will split time at pitcher and shortstop.

Lynn Anderson, who has moved from third to catcher, is another returning starter.

* Agoura (Marmonte League)--Agoura (25-5), which beat Paraclete, 4-0, for the 1-A championship last year, has moved up to the 5-A level this year, and senior pitcher Melissa Thatcher will help the Chargers make the transition.

Thatcher, who has attracted the interest of Cal State Northridge and Arizona State, is 48-7 in the past two seasons and posted an 0.77 ERA as a junior.

The Chargers have five other returning starters: Michelle Ray (catcher, .363); Michelle Bunch (first base, .262); Rachel Clarke (third base, .395); Wendy Baertschiger (shortstop, .170); and Kim Bunch (center field, .308).

* Camarillo (Marmonte League)--Coach Darwin Tolzin, who took over the program during the spring break last year, has the talent to surprise more than a few 5-A teams this year.

The battery of sophomore pitcher Laura Richardson (6-6, 0.70 ERA) and catcher Miki Mangan return for the Scorpions (14-9 last season). Mangan, a highly touted junior, batted .384 last season.

Senior Kelly Bannon will move from second base to shortstop, replacing Nicole Victoria, now at UCLA. Bannon, who batted .324 last season, will hit leadoff.

* Alemany (Mission League)--The Indians (20-5 last year) make their debut in the newly formed Mission League after a second-place finish to Notre Dame in the San Fernando Valley League last year. Alemany reached the 3-A quarterfinals a year ago before losing in extra innings.

The Indians, who have seven returning starters, are loaded with some of the area’s best hitters. Junior Krista Gomez, who has moved from second to shortstop, batted .545 with five home runs last year.

Senior first baseman and designated-hitter Brenda Garcia (.387) and catcher Patti Seresi (.360) return. Moreover, freshman second baseman Stephanie Parks is quickly making a name for herself, batting .350 in the Indians’ first five games.

Junior right-hander Stacey Hart (7-2, 0.73 ERA) is Alemany’s No. 1 pitcher, and transfers Lisa Asahara and Tanya Ortiz will work into the rotation.

CITY SECTION

* El Camino Real (West Valley League)--The Conquistadores (24-3 last year) have won nine consecutive league titles and three City 4-A titles in a row, but Coach Neils Ludlow has his work cut out for him this season. Seven starters, including ace pitcher Chrissy Peck (Barry College in Florida) and all four infielders, have graduated.

Junior catcher Carrie Reulbach, the team’s second-leading hitter last year with a near-.400 average, is the only Conquistadore who returns to her original position. Senior Emily Gourlay has moved from center field to first base, and junior Erin McGuire has come out of right field to play second.

Three freshmen will start: Jennifer Gould is Ludlow’s No. 1 pitcher, Jessica Dinaberg will play left field and Kate Chakmakian will play right field.

* Sylmar (East Valley League)--The junior pitching tandem of Ruby Gonzalez and Krystina Moore propelled the Spartans (19-2 last year) to an undefeated league season.

Gonzalez (10-1, 0.78 ERA) had 110 strikeouts and surrendered just 47 hits in 91 innings last season. She lost only to Chatsworth, 1-0, on an unearned run in the second round of the 4-A playoffs. The Spartans have a 32-4 record in the past two seasons, and half of the losses have been in playoff games.

Regina Hernandez has moved from center field to shortstop, and Judy Lara is at third. Sophomore catcher Traci Hanna already has four home runs in five preseason games.

* Granada Hills (West Valley League)--The Highlanders, who were 8-5 and lost to Cleveland in the 4-A quarterfinals last year, feature strong pitching to complement their offense. Sophomore Brandy Brennan has emerged as one of the toughest new pitchers in the area. Against Venice last week, Brennan had 15 strikeouts.

Karen Berkowitz (first base), Kelly Gray (second) and Melissa Hanson (third) are returning starters who batted better than .300 last year. Shannon Henry is back behind the plate and Casey Miller is in center field.

“There’s not a weak person in the lineup,” Coach Carolyn Gunny said. “Last year we had some weaknesses but not this year. We have the pitching and everything.”