Fillmore Comes Up Empty Again in 1-0 Defeat to Oak Park

Fillmore High continued its frustrating trend of leaving runners on base Tuesday against Oak Park.

As a result, the Flashes lost, 1-0, and find themselves deeper in second place in the Tri-Valley League baseball standings.

Fillmore (10-3-1, 5-2-1 in league play) stranded seven runners, wasting a solid performance by pitcher Chris Goodenough (3-2) and continuing a habit that is beginning to cost them games.

“I don’t think we were aggressive at the plate,” said Fillmore Coach Tom Ecklund, whose team stranded more than 50 runners over a six-game span early in April and left the bases loaded in the third inning of Tuesday’s game.

“The ball was on top of them all day, not because the kid was overpowering but because we weren’t looking to swing at the crucial times.”

Oak Park sophomore Jeff Smith (5-1), who pitched a three-hitter, may not be overpowering but he certainly has dealt Fillmore its two league losses--both shutouts.

The Eagles (11-6, 7-1) scored in the fourth inning of the 98-minute game. Smith led off with a sharp single over the mound and just out of the reach of Goodenough.

Ryan Carl advanced Smith to second with a sacrifice bunt. With two out, designated hitter Jordan Belfi drove in Smith with a single through the right side of the infield.

From there, Smith and the Eagles’ defense smothered the Flashes. Smith finished with one strikeout and four walks. He retired 11 batters on grounders, eight more on popups or fly balls.

After the game, Smith tried not to appear cocky but grinned from ear to ear as he discussed his effectiveness and the unlikely season his team is enjoying.

“[Fillmore’s] first five or six hitters will swing at the first pitch so we started them out with curves, changeups and low outside fastballs and just went right at the last three guys,” said Smith, who survived by keeping his fastball on the outer reaches of the plate after his curve became ineffective.

The Eagles returned one starter from last season’s league co-champions, Dan Wasserman, who has been forced to play catcher. Oak Park was dealt further blows when its top returning pitcher elected not to play this season, when ace-by-default Scott Christensen suffered an arm injury and starting catcher Eugene Holdgrafer was declared ineligible.

Oak Park continues to win despite dressing only 12 players for games, and Smith has become one of the team’s top players.

“[Smith] was going to start the year on the junior varsity--what a bad decision that would have been,” said Oak Park Coach Bill Springman, who put in 14 years as a college assistant before becoming a teacher at Oak Park in 1994. “He probably has the most heart of anyone I’ve ever coached. He’s a battler.”

Springman rated his team the league’s worst before the season but loves what he sees now.

“They’re a young bunch but they’re enthusiastic,” Springman said. “They’re playing hard and good things are happening to them.”