SOFTBALL: SIMI VALLEY SOFTBALL TEAM GETS ITS TURN AS NO. 1.Byline: Jim Inghram Daily News Staff Writer It's preseason and a Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. team is ranked as the top team in the area. Ho-hum. This No. 1 thing is becoming a regular event for Simi Valley teams. The most recent number ones were boys' soccer and boys' basketball. This time it's softball softball, variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Invented (1888) in Chicago as an indoor game, it was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground ball, kitten ball, and, because it was also played by women, ladies' . ``We are excited to be thought of that highly,'' Simi Valley coach Suzanne Manlet said. ``The girls are pumped up about it, but it's really early to tell who will be where. We have talent and the chance to be a very good team. Our goal is to win the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. , which is a tough feat. I believe we have the capabilities for contending.'' The reasons for optimism are plenty. The Pioneers return almost everyone from last year's team that finished 21-8 overall and 9-5 in league. The Pioneers placed third in league and made it to the second round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs. The team has pitching depth and is strong defensively and on offense. ``I think pitching will be one of our strength,'' Manlet said. ``Lori (Tande) and Brittney (Green) give us a good tandem.'' Cindy Gray might also get some innings to spell the top two. Tande, who helped the soccer team reach the semifinals, signed a letter of intent with Northeast Louisiana. She is a finesse pitcher, relying on off-speed pitches Noun 1. off-speed pitch - a baseball thrown with little velocity when the batter is expecting a fastball change-of-pace, change-of-pace ball, change-up pitch, delivery - (baseball) the act of throwing a baseball by a pitcher to a batter and pinpoint control. Green is more of a power pitcher In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power. . The 5-foot-7 sophomore has excellent velocity. ``They complement each other well,'' Manlet said. Tande was 10-6 with an 0.88 ERA and Green went 10-2 with a 0.80 ERA. Tande noted her team's excellent defense as being one of its best attributes. ``Defense is one area of strength,'' Tande said. ``The defense behind me is so good that I don't have to worry about throwing the perfect pitch every time.'' Experience is another factor that will benefit the Pioneers. ``With a couple of exceptions, everyone is back,'' Manlet said. ``We only have three seniors (Tande, Dawn Carifi and Jill Clarkson) but we will be very experienced. I think it's important, because the girls have played together for a year and had some exposure to the playoffs. That should help us throughout the season.'' Pacing the Pioneers offense is Carifi, Green, Tracie Hall and Tande. Tande batted .370 with 16 RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in , Green hit. 351 with 18 RBI, Hall was at .345 and drove in 19 runs and Carifi batted .333 with 14 RBI. Carifi also had a .996 fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player handles a batted or thrown ball properly. at first base. Another returnee re·turn·ee n. 1. One who returns, as from a journey or to school after a long absence. 2. A person returning from military duty overseas. See Usage Note at -ee1. that Manlet feels will contribute is outfielder Alexandria Ingraham. Top newcomers include sophomores Pam Clark and Melissa King, and freshman Jennifer Shields. ``The Marmonte League is one of the toughest in the Southern Section,'' Manlet said. ``The league championship will be a battle. It will come down to the last games of the season, that's why every game is going to be important for us. I expect Camarillo, Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , Westlake . . . everyone should be there. It will be a very difficult task to win our league.'' |
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