Panthers Slip Past Lancers in Walkover

While extra-inning softball games in the Marmonte League have become almost cliche, Thousand Oaks High discovered an improbable way to lose Tuesday.

Lancer ace Jennifer Sharron, who owns the most staggering strikeout-to-walk ratio in the region, walked home the winning run in the top of the 12th and Newbury Park held on to win, 1-0, in front of 200 at Thousand Oaks Community Park.

“What I didn’t want was for [Kristi Fox] to get a hit,” said Sharron, who was upbeat after losing to Newbury Park for the second time in extra innings. “I was trying to be careful. I guess I was too careful.”

For Thousand Oaks (13-5, 4-4 in league play), it was the second extra-inning game in as many days. The Lancers beat Simi Valley, 1-0, on Monday in 13 innings.

Newbury Park (16-3-1, 8-0-1), which lost back-to-back games in the Thousand Oaks tournament over the weekend, maintained its hold on first place.

Sharron (12-5), a hard-throwing junior left-hander who had struck out 166 and walked only nine in 130 innings before facing Newbury Park, escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 10th, but finally caved in.

Sophomore Candace Roberts led off the 12th with a single up the middle, went to second on a sacrifice by Tawni Yamauchi and took third on a wild pitch.

Julie Zuckman beat out a bunt in front of the plate and went all the way to second on the play when Sharron held the ball to keep Roberts at third.

Elisa Muran hit a bloop single over the third baseman’s head but both runners held, loading the bases.

Tina Roscoe popped up to shortstop Kristin Combe for the second out, but all four pitches Sharron threw to Fox were out of the strike zone.

“[The walk] surprised me,” Fox said. “Obviously from her stats, she doesn’t walk anybody.

“[But] it puts a lot of the pressure on the pitcher and it’s really not her fault.”

Fox pitched a one-hitter, surrendering a single to Erika Hanson with two out in the ninth.

Fox (11-2), who has signed a letter of intent with Virginia, held the Lancers in check by retiring 17 batters in order during one stretch and struck out seven.

Thousand Oaks, which had three runners thrown out trying to steal second by catcher Emily Webster, threatened by putting runners at second base with two out in the fourth and 11th innings. Still, the Lancers didn’t have half as many chances as Newbury Park, which stranded 10 runners.

Sharron allowed eight hits and struck out nine.

Fox and Muran each had two hits for Newbury Park.