HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP : SOFTBALL

Simi Valley 4, Thousand Oaks 2--It’s been a long, hard week of softball for Thousand Oaks, which began the week atop the Marmonte League standings.

Simi Valley, behind a strong pitching performance of Heather Santiago (3-1), beat the host Lancers to become the second team in three days to defeat Thousand Oaks.

The Lancers (11-8, 7-3), who lost to Newbury Park, 5-1, Tuesday, have dropped into fourth place in the league behind Camarillo (7-2), Newbury Park (8-3) and Simi Valley.

The Pioneers (16-4, 8-3), who lost to Thousand Oaks, 3-2, in the first half of league play, kept their title hopes alive by providing a balanced offensive attack to back up Santiago’s three-hitter. She struck out seven and walked one.

“We’re still looking for first place, that’s our team goal,” said Simi Valley Coach Suzanne Manlet, whose teams have finished second the past four years.

Amy Hood, who went two for three, singled in the second and the fourth innings, scoring Amy Powell each time for a 2-0 lead.

Thousand Oaks got its first hit off Santiago when Mich Argenti doubled down the left-field line to lead off the sixth. Suzie Klusyk’s ground out scored pinch-runner Christine Callahan for the Lancers’ first run. Nicki Ochoa led off the seventh by driving her third home run deep into center field.