Thousand Oaks Pulls Out Victory Despite Bad Case of Tainted Glove

Thousand Oaks High softball Coach Gary Walin has seen his team enough this season to know this: the Lancers need to play more games.

Walin wasn’t boasting after the Lancers pulled out a 2-1, come-from-behind victory over Newbury Park on Tuesday in a Marmonte League game at Thousand Oak Community Park.

“I’m not very happy right now,” he said.

Thousand Oaks (5-1, 2-1 in league play), with everyone back from last year’s 21-9 team, didn’t play like a front-runner.

“We made mistakes that since I’ve been here we haven’t made before,” said Walin, in his fourth year as coach. “Chalk that up to rustiness and lack of execution and mental mistakes . . . because we haven’t played enough games.”

The Lancers committed three errors in the second inning and were fortunate to give up only one run.

It started when first baseman Erika Hanson slipped and dropped a throw from third baseman Angela Ciufo, allowing Stacie Beshore to reach base.

Tawni Yamauchi followed with a bunt, which led to a drop by second baseman Colleen Spencer, who was covering first.

With runners at first and third and two out, Elisa Muran hit a chopper up the middle that shortstop Kristin Combe fielded before overthrowing first base, allowing Yamauchi to score for a 1-0 lead for Newbury Park (10-2, 2-1).

With runners at second and third, Spencer bobbled a ground ball by Tina Roscoe, recovered and lobbed the ball five feet to Hanson at first. Both runners had already crossed the plate, but Roscoe was called out on a close play.

Thousand Oaks, which managed only five hits off sophomore right-hander Alyson Blum (5-1), scored two runs in the fourth on two hits and a walk.

Spencer’s liner to right-center field scored Combe, who doubled to lead off the inning. Brandi Cope, who walked, scored the go-ahead run on a groundout by Justine Rachlin.

Notre Dame-bound Jennifer Sharron (4-1), who threw 111 pitches, allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one.