Canyons Turns Error Into 11-5 Romp : College baseball: Cougars score seven runs in sixth inning after Ventura pitcher Raba opens the way with errant throw.

A conservative play led to a liberal payoff for the College of the Canyons baseball team Tuesday.

Playing for one run, Canyons instead rolled up seven in the sixth inning of an 11-5 victory over visiting Ventura in the semifinals of the Western State Conference Shaughnessy playoffs.

Canyons, seeded first in the tournament, will play host to third-seeded Oxnard, an 8-4 victor over Glendale, at 2 p.m. Thursday for a shot at a possible wild-card berth in the state tournament.

With the score tied, 4-4, in the sixth inning and none out, Canyons was merely trying to move the runner on first into scoring position when Jon Strauss laid down a bunt. Pitcher Eric Raba pulled Carlos Rios off first with the throw, though, and before Ventura could record an out, nine Canyons runners had reached base and six had scored.

“We’re playing for one run in that inning, and they make a big mistake,” Canyons Coach Len Mohney said. “I’ve seen so many big innings when teams are playing for one run and (the other team) doesn’t get that first out.”

After Strauss’ bunt, Raba walked Walter White, hit Josh Bergara with a pitch and gave up consecutive run-scoring hits to Bobby Corrales, Bill Horvat and Robert Barrena. Jason Kernan relieved Raba and surrendered another run-scoring hit and a walk before retiring the next three men to end the inning and leave Ventura trailing, 11-4. Raba (4-5) took the loss.

Ventura (25-14) has developed a pattern of starting strongly and finishing slowly. Ventura took a 3-0 on Darrell McMillin’s three-run home run in the first, but Canyons (19-17-1) moved ahead with four runs in the second.

Canyons right-hander Chad Phillips bounced back after surrendering McMillin’s home run and allowed only five hits in the final eight innings. Phillips (4-5) struck out eight, walked one and retired the last seven batters in a complete-game victory.

“From the fifth inning on, I thought he dominated them,” Mohney said. “He got stronger as the game went on.”

In the past, Phillips has received less support than Dan Quayle. He has been both winner and loser in 1-0 games this season, but his teammates gave him some working room against Ventura. “After we got that lead, I got some confidence,” Phillips said.

In the other semifinal:

Oxnard 8, Glendale 4--Tempers flared in the eighth inning at Glendale. After Oxnard’s Jeremy Herider was injured on a play at third, the benches cleared twice within minutes, seven players were ejected and Oxnard Coach Dave Taylor said he was struck on the head by a Glendale player.

Taylor said he was hit while trying to restrain one of his players in the second bench-clearing episode. Glendale Coach Steve Coots said he was escorting a player off the field at the time and did not see the alleged incident involving Taylor. Coots said that the accused Glendale player claimed he did not hit Taylor. Three Oxnard players and four Glendale players were ejected. None of the seven were ejected for fighting, Coots said.

Juan Hernandez (4-3) pitched a complete game to earn the victory for Oxnard (21-18).