Carlisi Grins and Bares It on the Mound

Calabasas High relief ace Frank Carlisi brings something extra to the mound for the Coyotes. Actually, it’s more like he leaves something behind.

Carlisi, who lost a tooth playing baseball earlier this year, takes his false tooth out when playing first base or pitching.

When he pitches, Carlisi usually makes a point of showing opposing batters his gap-toothed grin.

“He makes a pretty imposing sight,” Calabasas Coach Rick Nathanson said. “It shows he’s got the closer’s mentality.”

Although he is pitching for the first time in nearly two years, Carlisi leads the region with four saves.

Twin bill: The Valencia softball team (7-7) has already equaled its victory total of 1996, its first varsity season. And the sweetest victory for Coach Donna Hetman Lee was 6-2 over Santa Monica, coached by her twin sister, Debbie Hetman Skaggs.

The loser bought dinner.

Slow but steady: Junior right-hander Jeff Boyle has emerged as the ace for Westlake’s baseball team, a year after posting an 11-0 record on the Warrior junior varsity.

“He doesn’t throw anything over 80 miles per hour,” Westlake Coach Chuck Berrington said. “But slow, accurate pitching gets to teams.”

Boyle (3-1) could have a better record, but he did not receive decisions for the Warriors (9-4-1, 2-1-1) in victories against Kennedy and Camarillo.

Unsung Charger: The area’s best unsung pitcher? It could be Agoura’s David Turner, who was 1-1 last week.

The senior right-hander took the loss in a 7-6 defeat to Simi Valley. Turner threw a six-hitter and allowed one earned run, but his teammates committed seven errors, including one with two out in the third that led to three runs.

In his next outing, Turner (3-2) had better luck to go with a standout relief performance in a 4-0 victory over Thousand Oaks. He threw 3 2/3 no-hit innings, striking out six and walking none, and did not go to a three-ball count on a batter.

Turner was 5-6 last season on a 6-18 Charger team. This season he has allowed 19 runs, eight earned, and struck out 37 and walked four in 27 innings.

Add Agoura: First-year Charger Coach Bruce Beck insists his team is as talented as any in the Marmonte League, with the exception of Camarillo.

“What’s holding them back is they need to learn to win,” Beck said. “This has been a problem at Agoura for a long time. We have the talent but we don’t yet know the cost of winning.”

Sweet dreams: Andy Russell didn’t wake up until 1 p.m. on Monday.

Then again, he deserved the extra rest.

Besides being a middle blocker on the Hoover boys’ volleyball team, Russell is taking four Advanced Placement classes and hasn’t had a break athletically since basketball season began in November.

In addition, Russell represented Hoover in the recent Scholastic Bowl, an academic decathlon, and has been part of the L.A. Athletic Club volleyball team since September.

So a little shut-eye is allowed during spring break, which began Monday at Hoover.

“I could fall asleep again right now,” Russell said.

His plans for the break include a visit to the local pitch-and-putt with volleyball teammate Nick Marbach, although the 6-foot-4 Russell isn’t as deft with a nine iron.

“I now realize what it’s like to be a bad athlete,” he said.