Thousand Oaks advances to D2 title game
LA VERNE » There were so many twists, turns and momentum changing calls that tilted Tuesday’s CIF Southern Section Division 2 baseball semifinal between host Bonita and topseed Thousand Oaks.
But it was Thousand Oaks (28-1) shortstop Max Muncy who finally tilted it in his team’s direction for good with a three-run homer in the sixth inning that broke the game open and led to the Lancers 10-3 victory, and a date in the championship against the winner of today’s semifinal between Trabuco Hills and Camarillo.
The CIF-SS finals will be held Friday and Saturday at Veterans Field in Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton. The CIF-SS is expected to set the times and locations today.
While Muncy’s homer provided the final punch, he got the Lancers going with a two-out walk in the fifth inning when they were trailing, 3-2.
After Charlie Saum singled, Easton Rulli singled to left and Muncy came charging home and collided with Bonita catcher Ryan Kozma, who knocked him to the ground. The umpire ruled that Kozma leaned into Muncy intentionally, allowing the run to score to tie the game and Kozma being ejected.
It was the turning point, because Jeff DeLuca singled on the next pitch to drive in two more runs, and all of a sudden Thousand Oaks led 5-3 -- scoring all three runs with two outs.
“Our guys put some good at bats together,” Muncy said. “It was a great at bat by Easton, it gave us a chance and I collided at home, was called safe and it was all good I thought.”
Thousand Oaks coach
Jack Wilson didn’t think the play at home was dirty, but admitted it may have fired Muncy up for his next at bat when he hit a threerun homer the following inning to put the Lancers up five runs.
“That all started with Max’s two-out hit and Easton’s two out hit, and that was kind of the story for us today,” Wilson said. “It was kind of unfortunate at the plate. It was kind of a freak accident, but Max is the kind of guy if you get him a little upset, and a little heartbeat going, he tends to do stuff like that (answer with his bat).”
Going to the fifth with a one-run lead, Bonita coach Ryan Marcos was liking his chances.
“At the end of the day we were fighting and we tip our caps to Thousand Oaks, those guys are studs,” Marcos said. “But for four or five innings we had them on their toes, so I’m proud of my guys.”
The first inning was something to remember.
Thousand Oaks’ Roc Riggio, who put on a show in their quarterfinal win over San Dimas with three home runs, led off with an opposite field homer to left — his 12th of the season. Riggio later got beaned in the head in his next at bat, had to come out to clean up some bleeding, but later returned.
That was just the beginning of bizarre things that happened.
After Thousand Oaks added another run in the first to lead 2-0, the Bearcats responded.
Bonita’s Aiden Caron beat a throw home that cut the Lancers’ lead to 2-1, much to the dismay of Wilson, who thought he was out.
Then a wild sequence occurred. Bonita’s Ryan Kozma proceeded to hit a three-run homer and was trotting around the bases when the umpires got together and said that a balk occurred just before the pitch, negating his homer.
The Bearcats had runners on second and third after the balk, and at least cashed them in. And they did so after Thousand Oaks appeared to pick off Devon Diaz at third, but during the rundown, they threw the ball off of Diaz’s legs, and Diaz and Luke Mistoke scored on the errant throw to go ahead, 3-2.
“That first inning, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many things go crazy in one inning,” Wilson said. “We had a meeting afterwards and said we’re going to throw that inning away and we got a lot of clutch hits with two outs later in the game. Crazy things were happening but they were able to settle down and stay within their game.”
Bonita’s (17-6) season is not over. They will be in the state regional playoffs that are announced Sunday.