Merricks, Oxnard Rule in New Pacific View Order

Camarillo High dominates Pacific View League baseball. Everybody knows that.

Matthew Merricks dominates Camarillo High. Everybody knows that now.

Including the nearly two dozen scouts who clocked Merricks’ fastball from the shade of eucalyptus trees behind the backstop at Oxnard High.

Making his first start of the season, the Oxnard left-hander reached 92 mph and blew down Camarillo, 2-0, Tuesday to put the Yellowjackets (6-1, 3-0 in league play) in first place.

It is the first time any team but Camarillo (7-4, 4-1) has led the Pacific View since the league’s inception last year.

And it was the first start of the season for Merricks, who has been brought along slowly because he played basketball and was late coming out for baseball. A senior three-year starter, Merricks (2-0) had a win and four saves in Oxnard’s first six games but pitched only 4 2/3 innings.

First-year Coach Phil White, the 31-year-old son of former longtime Oxnard and Moorpark college Coach Jerry White, knew the time was right for Merricks to throw a full game.

The bullpen remained vacant even when Justin Frash led off the seventh with a single and Merricks hit Kevin Brown. A sacrifice bunt moved up the runners, and with two out the dangerous Spencer Wyman came to the plate.

White ordered an intentional walk to load the bases, which irritated Merricks. He threw up his hands, walked behind the mound to gather himself, then got Delmon Young to ground into a game-ending force out.

“That was just the competition in [Merricks],” White said. “He wanted to go against their best guy and I can’t blame him. Matthew was resilient all day.”

Merricks struck out nine and allowed five hits, all singles. Because he walked seven, he wasn’t satisfied.

“I am very disappointed with the way I pitched,” he said. “I wanted to mix up my pitches, but I threw only about five curveballs and five or six change-ups.”

That meant he unleashed about 100 fastballs, only a few of which the Scorpions touched.

Employing a different style but nearly as effective was Camarillo left-hander John Gonzalez (3-1), who allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked one. Changing speeds effectively, Gonzalez faltered only in the fourth when Gabe Aguilar singled to right field with one out to score Brandon Stuart and Nick Marshall.

Aguilar, a sophomore second baseman, was promoted from junior varsity because senior Oscar Palmer broke his thumb and will be out for four weeks. In his first varsity game, Aguilar came through with the clutch hit Camarillo could not.

The Scorpions left 11 runners on base and were left with the realization that they likely must face another Merricks when Oxnard visits Camarillo on Friday.

And he too will be tough. Alex Merricks (1-0), a sophomore left-hander and Matthew’s cousin, has struck out 12 in nine innings and has an earned-run average of 0.78.