Westlake Continues Camarillo’s Slump

Marmonte League baseball rivals Westlake High and Camarillo, two teams headed in opposite directions before facing each other Friday, continued on course with Westlake’s 8-7 victory.

The visiting Scorpions (16-6, 6-4 in league play) began the week tied for first place but have plummeted with three consecutive league losses. A week ago, Westlake (12-7, 6-3) was mired in the midst of the pack but has used three consecutive victories to maintain hope for a league title.

“[The league race] is going to go right down to the last game and I’m glad we have it at home,” Westlake Coach Chuck Berrington said, referring to his team’s date with Royal on May 15. “We’ve got some things to prove to them. They’ve been a monkey on our back.”

Westlake has lost five consecutive games to Royal, but defeated Camarillo twice this week. The victory over the Scorpions on Monday was a blowout. The triumph on Friday, the Warriors’ fourth in a row, was a game they almost gave away.

Leading, 8-3, in the fifth inning, Westlake and starter Jeff Boyle (5-2) came undone. Camarillo’s rally began when Joe Yingling led off with a single and scored on a Jay Caligiuri home run.

John Medina and Garrett Valencia had hits and reached second and third with no out.

Boyle got Justin Collins to ground out, but then surrendered a two-run double to John Rodriguez and was pulled from the game.

Westlake reliever Brandon Delvecchio ended the threat by retiring Shane Miranda on a ground out and Eric Foster on a strikeout. Delvecchio, who earned his first save, allowed no hits in 2 1/3 innings.

Aiding the Warrior cause on defense was center fielder Joey Cuppari, who leaped to take a home run away from Medina for the first out of the seventh inning.

Camarillo, plagued this season by pitching problems, suffered more of the same with starter Andy Alstot (5-2), who allowed seven hits and seven runs, five of them earned, in 2 2/3 innings. Reliever Collins, in only his second appearance, provided a spark by allowing two hits and one earned run in 3 1/3 innings.

Cuppari had three hits and Ryan Cope had two hits, including a two-run home run in the first, for Westlake. Mark Hensley, Yingling, Medina, Collins and Rodriguez each had two hits for Camarillo.