Thousand Oaks Takes a Walk in Newbury Park and Wins, 2-0

Two left-handers with the right stuff squared off in a Marmonte League baseball game Friday.

Tracy Goebel of Thousand Oaks High and Tyler Johnson of Newbury Park baffled batters with tailing fastballs and sharp-breaking curves, but the Lancers capitalized on two walks and won, 2-0, at Newbury Park.

Goebel (4-1), a 6-foot-4 junior who dropped from 215 to 195 pounds during the off-season, pitched a streamlined game. He walked none, allowed six hits and needed only 88 pitches in throwing his first shutout.

“I had better control as the game went along,” said Goebel, who struck out nine.

Johnson allowed four hits and struck out eight, but he walked four. A pass issued to Ian Corso with two out in the fourth inning resulted in the first run when a wild pitch was followed by Jesse Siebers’ run-scoring single.

The Panthers threatened in the bottom of the inning when Johnson got his second hit and advanced on a wild pitch. Jared Buckley singled up the middle with two out, but shortstop Billy Lockin kept a run from scoring with a diving stop. Josh Block was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Joey Hamer grounded out.

“I thought [Lockin] keeping that ball in the infield was the key play in the game,” Newbury Park Coach Curtis Scott said.

Thousand Oaks (11-4, 5-1) extended its lead in the sixth when Chris Cordeiro walked, took second on a sacrifice by Goebel and scored on a single by Doug Hutton.

Newbury Park (9-6, 2-3 in league play) threatened in the seventh when Buckley and Block opened with singles but Goebel retired the next three batters.