Royal Rates 10 for Rally in 7th

Royal High turned a one-run advantage into a rout Wednesday, exploding for 10 runs in the seventh inning to defeat cross-town rival Simi Valley, 14-4, in a Marmonte League baseball game at Simi Valley.

Royal clung to a 4-3 lead before its big inning. Simi Valley appeared poised to tie the score in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out, but Highlander reliever Gabe Gapol struck out consecutive batters.

“It was an inning from hell,” Simi Valley Coach Tom D’Errico said.

Royal (10-6, 6-1 in league play), had 15 hits and remains in second place, half a game behind Camarillo. Simi Valley (11-7, 4-3) remains in fourth place.

Royal took a 2-0 lead in the second when Matt Rainer singled to score Brett Wayne and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Pesso.

The Highlanders increased their lead to 4-1 in the fourth on a solo home run by Wayne and a sacrifice fly by Tony Ortega that scored Pesso.

Simi Valley pulled to within 4-3 in its next at-bat. The first run scored when Andrew Gerber singled to score Andy Karp with one out. Gerber took too wide a turn at first and was caught in a rundown, during which Jason Meyer scored.

Simi Valley loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Gapol struck out No. 8 batter Todd Scherwin and No. 9 batter Jason Smith en route to his fourth save.

In the top of the seventh, Royal used seven hits, two walks and two errors to obliterate the Pioneers, who committed four errors in the game.

Pesso singled home Bobby Egan for the fifth run and Gapol, who makes plate appearances so infrequently that he does not even take batting practice, squeezed home Mike Rainer for the sixth run.

“We’ve been hitting the ball well and we knew we’d get some runs eventually,” said Royal Coach Dan Maye, whose team lined out nine times in a victory over Agoura last Friday.

Royal starter Mike Byer (3-2) allowed four hits and three runs--two earned--in four innings. Gapol allowed four hits and an earned run in three innings.

Wayne had four hits, including two home runs, and four RBIs.