Camarillo Has Enough Left to Make Playoffs

It’s time for a tip of the cap to Joe Yingling and his Camarillo High teammates, who are headed to the Southern Section baseball playoffs after routing Thousand Oaks, 13-2, Friday in a Marmonte League game at Thousand Oaks.

After the Lancers lost to Royal on Thursday to set up the do-or-die showdown with Camarillo, Thousand Oaks Coach Bill Sizemore reflected on his choice to save pitchers Matt Rogers and Chris Cordeiro for Friday.

“Camarillo’s going to have to beat the two best pitchers in the league,” Sizemore said. “And if they can do that, we’ll tip our hat to them.”

Camarillo (18-7, 9-5 in league play) earned its kudos with Yingling pitching a four-hitter in only his second start, and with the offense providing three-run rallies in the fourth and fifth innings.

Normally the catcher and short reliever, Yingling (3-2) struck out six, walked two and hit a batter while inducing 12 fly outs.

“We swung the bats but [Yingling] pitched a great game,” Thousand Oaks catcher John Smith said. “He beat us by getting us to swing at [high pitches] and we popped them all up.”

Thousand Oaks (16-9-1, 7-6-1), which committed five errors, missed the playoffs after going undefeated in its first five league games.

Camarillo tied Westlake for second place but the Warriors earned the league’s second playoff berth with a 2-0 record against the Scorpions, who landed the final berth.

Thousand Oaks led, 2-1, after three innings and appeared in good shape behind Rogers (7-2). But Shane Miranda walked to lead off the fourth and John Medina hit a two-run home run to give Camarillo a 3-2 lead.

The Scorpions stretched the lead to 4-2 later in the inning. John Rodriguez was safe on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Dustin Adams singled and the throw home from left fielder Jessie Siebers had Rodriguez beat by two steps but the ball ticked off Smith’s glove.

Camarillo scored three runs in the fifth and chased Rogers.

The Scorpions tacked on six runs in the seventh.

“He pitched a great game but they took advantage of every mistake he made,” Smith said of Rogers, who allowed four hits and seven runs, five earned, in four-plus innings.

Yingling, who played Little League in Thousand Oaks, earned bragging rights over several former teammates.

“I said I’m going to [pitch a complete game] no matter what happens,” Yingling said. “I’m so happy now I can’t believe it.”

Camarillo Coach Scott Cline said he counseled Yingling earlier in the week to stop trying to be something he isn’t.

“I told him you’re trying to be a pitcher and you’re not,” Cline said. “I told him to be an athlete and to do whatever you have to do to beat them.”