Las Virgenes East Coach Denies He Struck Umpire With Cap

Randy Lewis, an assistant coach for Las Virgenes East’s American Legion baseball team, denied that he struck an umpire with his cap, leading to his ejection Saturday from a District 20 playoff game won by Newhall-Saugus.

“I took my hat off, but I didn’t hit him with it,” Lewis said.

Lewis, the stepfather of Las Virgenes East pitcher Tanner Trosper and the team’s first-base coach, approached home-plate umpire Larry Wojchiechowski after Las Virgenes East first baseman Chris Cicuto was ejected for yelling an obscenity at Newhall-Saugus pitcher Chris Baker. To open the eighth inning, Cicuto had been hit by a pitch for the fourth time in the game.

Lewis said he was attempting to plead Cicuto’s case.

As the exchange grew more heated, Lewis said, he took off his cap and waved it in Wojchiechowski’s direction.

Wojchiechowski said he was hit across the face by the cap. After the game, the umpire said he would file criminal charges against Lewis. Wojchiechowski could not be reached to confirm whether the charges had been filed.