Simi Valley Capitalizes on Newbury Park Mistakes, 3-0 : Prep baseball: Pioneers take over first place behind a two-hitter by Chris Devlin. Panthers commit four errors.

Newbury Park High, which has only four seniors in its lineup, nearly took an inexperienced team to a Southern Section 5-A Division playoff berth this season.

Nearly. Inconsistency haunted the Panthers again Wednesday in a 3-0 loss to host Simi Valley in a Marmonte League baseball game. Newbury Park wasted a four-hitter by Tim Farris, committed four errors and mustered only two hits against Chris Devlin.

Simi Valley’s victory, combined with Camarillo’s 10-6 win over Channel Islands (20-5, 9-4 in league play), moved the Pioneers (18-6, 10-3) into sole possession of first place with one game remaining. Newbury Park (12-11, 7-6) fell two games out of third place and was eliminated from playoff contention.

“We played five innings of good ball and one of not-too-good ball,” Newbury Park Coach Gary Fabricius said. “You can’t win in this league with only five innings.”

For 5 1/2 innings, Farris and Devlin engaged in an impressive duel in which they combined to face only four hitters over the minimum. Farris (7-3) had given up only a fifth-inning single by Ryan Hankins (two for three).

But pinch-hitter Pat Queenen, who had not hit a home run in 35 at-bats this season, led off the sixth with a homer to left field that broke a scoreless tie. Newbury Park’s defense then committed three errors that led to two more runs in the inning.

Aaron Whitley hit a hard grounder that scooted between second baseman Keith Smith’s legs, but Whitley was thrown out at third when he tried to advance on a single by Kevin Nykoluk (two for three).

Nykoluk went to second on the throw, Aaron Fischer was intentionally walked, and Hankins followed with a two-out single that gave Simi Valley a 2-0 lead. On the relay home, Fischer was caught in a rundown, but third baseman Robert Fick dropped a short toss as Fischer slid into third. Britten Pond followed with a chopper that glanced off shortstop David Lamb’s glove, allowing Fischer to score.

“We’ve been inconsistent in the field all season, and we were again (Wednesday),” Fabricius said.

Simi Valley’s defense was more impressive, thanks to several key plays by second baseman Pond and a diving catch by center fielder Nykoluk. Only two Panthers reached second base against Devlin (6-0), a senior left-hander who gave up six runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings against Newbury Park on April 9.

The Panthers (12-11, 7-6) threatened in the sixth when Jason Tubb led off with a single and, with one out, stole second. But Devlin, who struck out seven and walked none, retired the next two batters.

“I was hitting my spots real well,” said Devlin, who needed only 79 pitches. “The last time I faced them, I didn’t get ahead of the hitters and they took advantage of it.”