Lancers Plunk Down Victory

The Marmonte League introduced a harder, livelier softball this week.

The intent was to generate more runs. So far, it’s not working.

Thousand Oaks High beat Camarillo, 1-0, in a matchup of league favorites Thursday at Camarillo.

With the bats still silent, Thousand Oaks found another way to score runs this week--take the ball to the body.

Two Lancers were hit by pitches in the fifth inning, the second with two outs and the bases loaded.

Jennifer Richards opened the inning with a walk and advanced to second on Lacey Cope’s infield single against Camarillo pitcher Cindy Ball.

Thousand Oaks pitcher Jennifer Sharron forced in the run by taking Ball’s 1-1 pitch on her right elbow.

“I sacrificed myself for the team,” Sharron said. “We won, and it was great.”

Thousand Oaks couldn’t have scripted it any better, considering it came two days after Simi Valley used two hit batters and a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to sink the Lancers (4-1, 1-1) in the league opener, 1-0.

Sharron was the loser after pitching seven no-hit innings.

Against Camarillo (3-3, 1-1), Thousand Oaks Coach Gary Walin had designated hitter Vanessa Hansen fill Sharron’s spot in the batting order.

But after Angela Ciufo was hit on the left hand to load the bases, Walin sent Sharron to the plate. And Sharron was determined to find a way to win.

“Pitching is a big part of the game,” Sharron said. “Games are going to be so close, little things can determine the outcome.”

The loss to Simi Valley cost Thousand Oaks the No. 1 ranking in The Times’ regional top 10.

Camarillo, which was No. 1 in the preseason poll, has lost three of its last four games and dropped out of the top 10.

Ball (1-2), a dominating pitcher, has lost two in a row.

“They’re questioning themselves,” Camarillo Coach Miki Mangan said. “Cindy started questioning herself today--questioning the location of her pitches, her pitch selection . . .

“And when she does, everybody does.”

In addition, Camarillo has lost catcher Jessica Mendoza, considered by many the best in the region at her position. Mendoza has a torn knee ligament and won’t return until late April.

“We’re trying to adjust,” Mangan said. “We’ve moved a lot of people around. We miss her bat, but we need someone to step up and give us a spark.”

Sharron (3-1) was strong again, striking out 10, allowing three hits and falling behind in the count to only one of 24 batters. But Camarillo hit her hard at times.

Richards, the Lancer right fielder, made acrobatic catches of potential extra-base hits by Kortney Edge and Allie Taverner. Sharron caught a line drive by Amanda Buttell in the seventh.