Voeltz Gets Off the Ropes to Beat Simi Valley, 1-0

So often it’s not how you start that’s important, but rather how you finish.

Like a prize fighter in an important bout, Erin Voeltz of Westlake High went from leaning on the ropes in the first inning to delivering blow after punishing blow in the final six to knock out Simi Valley, 1-0, in a Marmonte League game for second place at Westlake.

“[Voeltz] absolutely dominated,” Coach Darwin Tolzin of Westlake said. “There was never a doubt in my mind who was going to win this game because of the way she was dominating.”

Offensive support for Voeltz’s dominating performance finally came in the seventh. With two out, Annie Domenic singled, Kaitlyn Wilson reached base on an error and Katie Reifman turned on a change-up and ripped the ball over the right fielder’s head for the game-winning hit.

“These kids see change-ups every single day and we hit the change hard [Tuesday],” Tolzin said.

Westlake (8-4, 5-1 in league play) took sole possession of second place, one game behind Thousand Oaks. Simi Valley (9-4, 4-2), playing its fourth consecutive one-run game, fell to third.

The game had a curious beginning.

Voeltz (8-3), who struck out 11 and faced one over the minimum in the final six innings, allowed two singles and a walk in the first inning. She escaped the bases-loaded jam by striking out Dianna Michael on four pitches.

“She was making too good of pitches [in the first inning],” Tolzin said. “I told her we’ve got to get out of the middle of the plate.”

The shaky start served as a motivation for the the Georgia Tech-bound right-hander.

“I knew I had to protect our home field . . . and that [inning] did [tick] me off,” Voeltz said.

After allowing a single to left by Kolia Ponce to load the bases, Voeltz struck out seven of the next nine batters. She only gave up one hit after the first inning.

“Not taking anything away from Erin, because she’s a great pitcher, but I thought the umpire was giving her a lot of pitches,” said Coach Suzanne Manlet of Simi Valley.

Voeltz said the strike zone seemed to deviate from inning to inning.

But she wasn’t about to complain.

Westlake made a little noise in the first inning, but stranded two runners and didn’t threaten again until the sixth. With the bases loaded, Voeltz flew out to right fielder Casie Laughrey.

Jamie Astorino (7-3) allowed six hits for Simi Valley and struck out three.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Pioneers this week. Simi Valley plays Thursday at Thousand Oaks. The Lancers beat the Pioneers, 4-1, in the league opener.

“This week was very big for us . . . it still is,” Manlet said. “We just have to refocus.”