Simi Valley Knocks Westlake Off Stride : High school baseball: Pioneers replace off-speed ace Scheffels with hard-throwing Kozlowski, post 5-1 Marmonte victory.

Simi Valley High had to start its ace, Bill Scheffels, in the Marmonte League opener Wednesday at Westlake. At least, that’s what Warrior Coach Rich Herrera figured.

Guess again, Rich.

Pioneer Coach Mike Scyphers chose No. 2 starter Kary Kozlowski, saving Scheffels for Friday’s game against arch-rival Royal, and Kozlowski beat an off-balance Westlake team, 5-1.

“All week long we thought we’d see Scheffels,” Herrera said, “so we worked on hitting off-speed stuff.

“We were working on hitting the changeup, which is Scheffels’ bread and butter.”

Kozlowski (3-0), a senior right-hander, came out throwing fastballs and sliders. He did not give up a hit in the first three innings, yielding only four hits in six.

Kozlowski’s only problem was control, normally his forte. He was consistently behind the count and walked four.

“I just couldn’t hit my spots,” Kozlowski said. “I didn’t have my good stuff. I feel pretty good to get out of here with a win.”

Westlake’s chance to beat Kozlowski came in the fourth, when the Warriors loaded the bases with two out on a single and two walks.

A run scored on Kasey Davis’ infield single, but Kozlowski escaped by inducing Brandon Zimmerman to hit a routine grounder to shortstop Dan Schwartz.

The Warriors (3-3) did not threaten Simi Valley in the remaining three innings, with only two batters reaching first and none reaching second against Kozlowski and Jeff Weaver, who pitched the seventh.

Simi Valley (5-1) scored all the runs it would need in the first inning against right-hander Chris Flanagan (2-1), who pitched a complete game.

With one out, second baseman Tim Nykoluk doubled and scored on a single by Ryan Hankins, who was two for two and scored three runs.

Scheffels then walked and he and Hankins advanced on a passed ball. After a popup, catcher Brian Kavanagh singled in two runs, giving Simi Valley a 3-0 lead.

“That two-out hit was clutch,” Scyphers said. “They didn’t get the hit when they needed it (in the fourth) and we did. That’s the difference in the game.”