Westlake Grows Up Fast, Maintains Playoff Hopes

AGOURA — When a softball team starts four freshmen and no seniors, it’s easy to understand why the coaches are constantly reminding the players to “stay focused.”

Freshmen, as Westlake High Coach Darwin Tolzin knows, have a tendency to have too much fun.

“They don’t know any better,” shrugged Tolzin, who is in his first year at Westlake.

Thursday, the Warriors giggled, sang, joked--and crushed the ball--from start to finish en route to a 7-1 victory over Agoura in a Marmonte League game at Agoura.

The Warriors kept their playoff hopes alive with four games remaining. Westlake (9-9-1, 5-4-1 in league play), which had lost five straight before Thursday, pulled together against Agoura (14-5-1, 5-4-1), collecting 11 hits.

“Completely different team today,” Tolzin said.

And just in the nick of time.

Six of the Marmonte’s eight teams have winning records in league play. But only four teams have a shot of reaching the playoffs. Westlake, Agoura and Newbury Park--all Division III teams and tied for fourth place--are the league’s only non-Division I teams.

Westlake freshman right-hander Erin Voeltz (8-8) did her part, scattering four hits, striking out six and walking one.

“I was expecting a close game,” said Voeltz, whose single in the first inning drove in the Warriors’ second run.

In their previous meeting, Westlake and Agoura tied, 3-3, in nine innings. Westlake had runners at first and second, none out and the heart of the lineup headed to the plate, but the game was called because of darkness.

The Warriors--coming off losses to powerful Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Chaminade, Righetti and Simi Valley--made sure the sun wouldn’t set on them twice.

Westlake scored three runs in the first on a walk, a single and two errors. The Warriors had three singles in the second and failed to score, but continued the onslaught with a four-run fourth.

The fourth-inning runs were the result of five hits and an error, giving the Warriors a 7-0 lead. Jill Skinner’s single to left chased starter Jennifer Grennan (8-2) with two on and none out.

Amanda Oleson relieved but found the going just as difficult. Jennifer Azevedo singled in a run, as did Michelle Notaro and Sarah Koppel. Notaro later scored from third on an errant throw to second by catcher Kim Whitcher on an attempted steal.

Lisa Vadalma, a junior left fielder, went three for four with a double in the seventh and Azevedo and Skinner, a freshman, each had two hits.

Agoura scored in the fourth on a single by Oleson, driving in Heather Bunch, who reached on an error.