Ball Bounces Camarillo’s Way

CAMARILLO — The last time Camarillo High faced Thousand Oaks in a softball playoff game, Cindy Ball sat on the bench with her right hand in a splint because of a sprained thumb.

A year later, Ball gave Camarillo a big thumbs up after ripping a two-run single in the fifth inning to break a tie and give the Scorpions a 3-1 victory over Thousand Oaks in a Southern Section Division I second-round game Tuesday in front of about 200 at Camarillo.

Sophomore Kathryn Nevard (9-4) kept Thousand Oaks (18-8-1) in check with a two-hitter.

Nevard, who threw a three-hitter in a 2-0 quarterfinal loss to the Lancers last year, worked 4 2/3 innings before yielding a single in the fifth. She struck out four and walked one.

Camarillo (20-5), top-ranked in the region by The Times and the division’s No. 4-seeded team, will face Highland (24-5) in a quarterfinal game Thursday at a site to be determined by a coin flip.

The Scorpions had split two Marmonte League games against Thousand Oaks this year. In their last meeting nearly a month ago, Camarillo committed five errors in a 7-0 loss at home.

But Ball, a four-year varsity starter, came to the rescue on Tuesday and she had one thing on her mind.

“Revenge,” said Ball, who had two of Camarillo’s six hits. “Of all the years we’ve played [Thousand Oaks], I don’t think we’ve ever beaten them on this field.

“They knocked us out [of the playoffs] last year and I didn’t want this to be our last game.”

After Thousand Oaks’ Michelle Spencer walked with two out and scored on three passed balls in the top of the fifth, Camarillo responded immediately.

With one out, Nicki Holt reached on an error and Nikki Sutton singled to put runners at first and second.

Alana Mendoza ripped a single up the middle to drive in Holt and tie the score, 1-1.

“I was totally not expecting to get that hit,” said Mendoza, who broke her nose on May 2 and had a plastic face mask attached to her helmet. “I just wanted to hit it on the ground and move the runners.”

For Mendoza, who had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth to beat Righetti ace Jocelyn Forest, 2-1, in the Thousand Oaks tournament less than an hour before breaking her nose, it was her biggest hit of her career.

“Coming back with my nose, it’s the playoffs, it’s CIF, it’s T.O. I think this [hit] is way more important. I don’t care who the pitcher was,” she said.

Jessica Mendoza, Alana’s sister, followed with a liner to left to load the bases. Jill Borchard hit a grounder to pitcher Kim Martin (8-5), who threw home for the force out, setting the stage for Ball.

“Cindy’s been doing really well,” Coach Miki Mangan said. “She’s been very selective at the plate.”

Ball’s two-run hit chased Martin, who allowed six hits and struck out three.