Camarillo Takes Big Hit After Batting Practice

At the center of one of the most controversial incidents in high school sports this year is Jefflyn Spahr, a center fielder on the Camarillo softball team.

Camarillo was disqualified from the Southern Section playoffs last Thursday after it was learned that Spahr and her coach, Darwin Tolzin, had violated a section rule by holding batting practice on Sunday, May 21.

Two days after the illegal practice, Spahr got three hits in a 3-0 victory over Santa Barbara San Marcos in Division I’s second round. Talking to reporters after the game, she credited the Sunday batting session.

Her comments appeared in local newspapers and prompted more than one call to the Southern Section office Wednesday. The first to call was Tolzin, who told Karen Hellyer, assistant commissioner, not to believe what was said. He denied holding the practice.

The matter was investigated by Camarillo Principal Terry Tackett, who determined after interviewing Spahr, her father and Tolzin, that no violation was committed. The Southern Section closed the matter Wednesday afternoon.

On Thursday, however, a witness told Tackett that he was jogging on the track at Camarillo that Sunday and saw Tolzin practicing with Spahr. Tackett investigated the matter again and determined that a practice was held.

Later that day, a few hours before Camarillo was to take the field against Santa Ana Mater Dei in the quarterfinals, players were informed that the team was being removed from the playoffs and replaced by San Marcos.

Tolzin’s future with Camarillo is uncertain, but he is expected to be relieved of his duties. He did not return phone calls.

“After I investigated again, I determined that I had not been told the truth [the first time],” Tackett said.

Dean Crowley, Southern Section commissioner, said he has been told that Tolzin has conducted Sunday practices more than once.

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Pitcher Mike Rainer, a sophomore transfer who spent most of the season on the junior varsity, was an unexpected hero in Simi Valley Royal’s 2-0 upset victory over top-seeded Long Beach Millikan in the Southern Section Division I playoffs last week.

Rainer, who attended Simi Valley last year, pitched in only two junior varsity games because of injuries and mechanical problems. But he got the call from Coach Dan Maye after playing well in a recent intrasquad game.

Against Millikan, the 6-foot-5 Rainer gave up two hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked four. He was relieved by senior Matt Pitsick, who was credited with the victory.

“We said let’s go with the guy with the best stuff, “ Maye said.

Millikan (23-3) entered the game as the top-ranked team in the Southland by The Times and in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

Royal (20-10) advanced to Friday’s quarterfinal round, where it was eliminated by Chino Hills Ayala, 7-6. *

One of the most impressive Southern Section streaks came to an end last Thursday when Garden Grove defeated Alhambra Keppel, 10-9, in the Division I co-ed badminton championship at Cypress College.

Before the final, Keppel had won 115 consecutive matches, picking up five section titles along the way.

“Beating Keppel is the highlight,” Garden Grove Coach Vicki Toutz said. “One-hundred-fifteen wins, and it won’t be 116.”

With the match tied, 9-9, the boys’ doubles team of David Nguyen and Dung Cu gave Garden Grove its first title since 1986 with a 15-8, 15-11 victory over Chung Nguy and Dennis Tirtadjaja.

Prep Notes

Mike Kearney, who coached Verbum Dei to the state Division IV title in boys’ basketball this past season, resigned last week citing dissatisfaction with the direction of the school. “I’m not confident in the leadership,” said Kearney, who was 124-46 in six seasons. . . . The Garden Grove Pacifica softball team had not given up a run in 88 innings until Los Alamitos scored in the bottom of the ninth for a 1-0 victory in a Southern Section Division I quarterfinal last Thursday.

Van Nuys Grant won the City Section girls’ gymnastics title last Wednesday. Grant’s Darci Richelieu took the all-around competition with 36 points. . . . Odis McKinney, a former defensive back and assistant coach with the Raiders, will be an assistant football coach at Westlake next season. . . . Dave Gordon, the newly hired CIF executive director, will be introduced at a news conference Saturday.