Oak Park Lands the Last Laugh

The outfield fence is at least 600 feet from home plate at Moorpark High, and after watching a 380-foot fly ball disappear into the glove of a Moorpark outfielder in a 1-0 loss last month, Oak Park Coach Mike Bolyog called the Musketeers’ field “an airport.”

“I think I saw some B-52s coming in for a landing over there,” Bolyog cracked.

Upon the Eagles’ return to Moorpark last week, Bolyog and his players were greeted by a banner that read: “Welcome to Moorpark International Airport.”

“I had something to do with that,” Moorpark catcher Jake Flesher said. “We saw (Bolyog) make that comment and we were laughing. We were going to put up signs that said ‘Delta’ or ‘Runway 10.’ It was just kind of a joke.”

The joke was on Moorpark after Oak Park dealt the Musketeers their first Tri-Valley League loss, 2-1, behind a two-hitter by senior right-hander Jeff Gibbons.

Moorpark’s only run? A seventh-inning home run by Flesher.

IN PREPARATION

Don’t be surprised to find a few unfamiliar faces in the field this week for Hart, Saugus and Moorpark. Each team has clinched its respective league title. And each has the luxury of resting a pitcher here, an infielder there in preparation for the playoffs next week.

Moorpark Coach David Rhoades, whose team is 11-1 in Tri-Valley League play and 4 1/2 games ahead of second-place Oak Park (6-4), brought up junior varsity infielders Adam Rauch and Ricky Collier, both sophomores, for defensive help.

“In case we need them for the playoffs, then that won’t be their first experience,” Rhoades said. “We’re going to bring up three more kids--a pitcher, first baseman and an outfielder.”

Saugus Coach Doug Worley has similar plans, although he said junior right-hander Bobby Cowan (12-0), the staff’s ace, will continue to throw. The Centurions (19-4-1) are 13-1 in Golden League play, five games ahead of second-place Palmdale.

“We’re still going to try to win,” Worley said. “But if there’s a way to back off, I’m going to do it.”

Finding a balance isn’t easy. Hart (20-2) is 13-0 in Foothill League play, four games ahead of second-place Schurr (9-4) with two games to play.

“The way I’ve always looked at it is: You have so many games scheduled and you try to win that many games,” Hart Coach Bud Murray said. “We might use some different pitching (this week), but I think (starting pitchers) need to throw once a week. You can throw (in the bullpens all you want), but it’s not like being in a real ballgame.”

FLASHY FLASH

Jaime Duran. Remember the name.

He might be the best Fillmore pitcher since Dodger Kevin Gross.

While that might be premature considering the junior right-hander is in his first varsity season, Santa Paula Coach Henry Jacinto, an assistant for the Flashes from 1976-1980, doesn’t think so. “I think he’s as good a pitcher as Fillmore has ever had,” Jacinto said.

Jacinto was not the only one impressed after Duran gave up only four hits in Fillmore’s 4-1 victory over Santa Paula last week.

“There were a few times where, with runners on base, he was mentally tough,” Fillmore Coach Tom Ecklund said. “That’s the sign of a good pitcher.”

Twice with runners in scoring position and two out, Duran struck out the final batter to end the inning.

Duran is 7-1 with a 1.16 earned-run average and six complete games. He has 72 strikeouts and 23 walks.

Duran will pitch today against Santa Clara’s Eric Starna (6-2) in a game that will decide the Frontier League title. Santa Clara (12-5-1, 8-2-1) has clinched a tie; Fillmore (13-4-1, 7-3-1) hopes for a co-championship.

HONEST ACCOUNTING

A team does not usually win when it commits 17 errors in a game, but North Hollywood’s softball team defied the odds last week in a 24-17 win over Grant in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game.

North Hollywood (6-8, 4-6), which had 17 hits, even had six runs to spare.

“Kind of a mess, huh?” North Hollywood Coach Steve Drott said.

When an error is committed, Drott scores it that way, an approach he says is rare among City Section coaches.

“I’ve seen some (City Section) scores in the paper where somebody wins, 20-17, and there’s only three errors in the game,” Drott said. “C’mon, that’s a bunch of bull. Some of those girls have .600 batting averages and that’s not accurate.”

North Hollywood has fared worse defensively than in the game against Grant. The Huskies committed 22 errors in a loss to Kennedy.

“Our batting averages are not very high, but the girls don’t care,” Drott said. “I just think you should mark an error when it’s an error, and most of these coaches think it’s a hit when a girl reaches first base.”

ARCHIE’S ACES

Burbank rolled to its fifth straight Foothill League tennis title last week and extended its league winning streak to 25. Burbank, ranked sixth in the Southern Section 3-A Division, is 48-2 in league play since 1988.

“We’re the Archie Bunkers of the tennis world,” Coach Clyde Richards said. “You don’t think of Burbank as a tennis power, but we’re a bunch of blue-collar kids who can play.”

Included among those are No. 1 singles player Doug Young, who is 36-4 in total sets and 27-0 in league. The No. 2 doubles team of Mike Murray and Phil Cano is 27-0 in league sets.

HIGH-ROLLERS

Royal shortstop Dave Landaker, who is projected as a top selection in baseball’s amateur draft in June, might never honor his commitment to play at Nevada next season.

But Landaker’s decision to spurn NCAA Division I powers such as USC, Pepperdine and Cal State Long Beach in favor of the rebuilding Wolf Pack seemed surprising.

Landaker and Royal catcher Shane Slayton each signed a letter of intent to attend Nevada because the Wolf Pack made a solid scholarship offer and promised each player ample playing time as freshmen, according to Royal Coach Dan Maye.

WELCOME BACK

Birmingham junior catcher Brett Ermilio returned to the lineup eight games ago after recovering from elbow surgery and has batted .522 with seven RBIs.

Vince Kowalick and staff writers Paige A. Leech, T.C. Porter and Jeff Riley contributed to this notebook.