Camarillo Tosses Rio Mesa in Dustbin

Camarillo High completed a three-game sweep of rival Rio Mesa on Wednesday, pounding the Spartans, 8-1, to all but confirm which team reigns supreme in the inaugural season of the Pacific View League.

Camarillo (19-4, 9-1 in league play) entered having already clinched the league title--thanks in part to previous victories over second-place Rio Mesa (17-8, 5-5) by margins of 12-0 and 14-7.

Senior left-hander Garrett Valencia (6-3) earned his third victory over the Spartans, hurling a six-hitter with one strikeout to record his first complete game. The Scorpions’ defense came to his aid by turning three double plays, in the first, second and seventh innings.

“Usually, I just keep the ball down and don’t worry about strikeouts,” Valencia said. “I don’t try to overpower you. Our defense is so good, I don’t have to.”

Camarillo’s offense did the rest, scoring three runs in the first inning to account for the winning margin.

Valencia contributed to a 10-hit attack with a run-scoring double in the first inning. Mark Hensley, Camarillo’s leading hitter with a .452 average, and Eric Foster had run-scoring singles in the first.

Spencer Wyman, the Scorpions’ catcher, was three for three, including a double and a two-run home run in the fifth inning. The home run was Wyman’s third in the last four games.

Wyman’s blast over the right-field fence--310 feet from home plate--caromed off a concrete wall that divides the diamond and the 101 freeway. Had the ball carried a few more feet it might have wreaked havoc on rush-hour motorists.

“[The distance] is very deceiving,” Wyman said. “It’s farther than it looks. It would have taken another 30 feet. But we’ve hit them out in batting practice.”

After years playing in the competitive Marmonte League, the Pacific View League might seem like little more than batting practice for Camarillo. But getting up for games hasn’t been a problem.

“I was a little worried about our motivation today,” Coach Scott Cline said. “But it was Rio Mesa and it was a chance to sweep them.

“I’m lucky that we have the athletes we have and we have been playing really well. And our pitching has been good.

“Valencia is a flat-out gamer.”

Valencia, a three-year varsity player who was quarterback of the football team, recorded his only strikeout in the first inning, whiffing Anthony Sanchez after yielding a leadoff single to Nick Barroso.

Rio Mesa placed a runner on base in every inning except the third. The Spartans scored in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Greg Ramirez that drove in Sanchez. But Valencia ended the rally with runners at the corners by fielding Saul Gallegos’ slow roller and throwing to first.

Valencia did not allow a hit after Barroso singled in the fifth.

Camarillo scored two runs in the third on a sacrifice fly by Valencia that scored Hensley and a run-scoring single by Foster.