Sports
Fast Start Turns to Frustration for Chargers
Agoura High puts up four runs in the first two innings, but can't add any more in a tough 6-4 loss to Simi Valley.
After scoring in the bottom of the first inning and three more times the following inning, the Agoura High baseball team might have figured that it was going to have a relatively easy time scoring runs on Monday afternoon.
If so, the Chargers thought wrong.
They continued to rack up the hits against Simi Valley, but were unable to manufacture more runs and as a result lost to the visiting Pioneers 6-4 in a Valley Invitational Baseball League game.
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"We've played well lately, but this team is still trying to figure out ways to win games,'' Chargers coach Dennis Reitz. "I'm proud of the boys though. They never give up and always seem to fight until the end of the game.''
Preston Rosemont and Mark Seyler had base hits to get things started for Agoura (5-9) in the first. Brody Fehmel followed with a single, scoring Rosemont. The threat ended when Fehmel was caught attempting to steal third base.
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Trailing 4-1 in the second inning, Agoura rallied once more against Simi Valley (8-6). Tyler Cohen singled and Sam Gerald, Jordan Shulman and Jack Quina delivered consecutive base hits.
A double by Rosemont evened things up, 4-4. But Agoura ended up leaving runners in scoring position after Seyler struck out and Chad Clark grounded.
The Chargers had a number of opportunities to score thereafter, but were unable to push a runner across home plate.
Fehmel led off the bottom of the third inning with a base hit and he moved to second base following a Justin Cana bunt. Cohen stepped to the plate and subsequently walked. But Agoura came away empty handed after a Gerald ground out. The Chargers threatened in the bottom half of the fourth inning as well. With two outs, Rosemont walked and Seyler and Clark reached to load the bases. The scoring chance was squandered when Fehmel hit a grounder for the third out.
The Pioneers took a lead with a run in the top of the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Agoura had one last shot in the seventh. Fehmel drew a walk to lead off the inning, but never advanced past second.
The Chargers had 12 hits, three each from Seyler and Rosemont. Cohen reached base in three appearances in the batters box.
"It's simple. If you don't score, you're not going to win, plain and simple,'' Reitz said. "I'm not worried. I know my kids will bounce back.''
Check out a slideshow of the game here.
