Royal Relief Pitchers Gang Up on Thousand Oaks in 3-2 Victory

Royal High has not played a Marmonte League game at home, yet a 3-2 win over Thousand Oaks on Wednesday was like coming home for Dan Presta and Sean Sullivan.

Thousand Oaks pitcher Dan Churgy, however, only wishes his teammates could find home more often.

Although Presta and Sullivan are right-handed Royal pitchers responsible for the victory, they’ve taken different approaches to becoming successful. Presta politely knocked on the door and waited until it was answered. Sullivan just crashed on through.

Presta earned his first win after two shaky outings by throwing three scoreless innings in relief of Jim Dollar. He’s come a long way from his first game, when he did not record an out against West Covina and allowed six runs.

“I lost a lot of confidence my first time out,” said Presta, who came out late for baseball because he played on Royal’s basketball team. “I knew I’d come around in time.”

Sullivan is the Royal shortstop and was not expected to pitch. Last week he made a grand entrance by striking out seven in three innings of scoreless relief. Against Thousand Oaks, he entered the seventh with two on and no outs. He earned a save after a strikeout, a walk and two feeble infield pop flies.

“Presta and Sullivan have become our money pitchers,” said Royal Coach Mike McCurdy.

Dollar might be called a money pitcher as well, but after he walked Jason Cunningham and allowed a hit-and-run single by David DeSoto to begin the fourth, McCurdy wanted change.

Presta, who throws a sharp-breaking curve, came on to strike out the next two Lancers and DeSoto was caught stealing.

Royal rallied to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth on an RBI single by Presta, who started in left field, and a two-run single by Mike Kinnaman. Thousand Oaks (3-9, 0-4) had taken an early lead when Joe Sturges doubled home Tom Brozowski in the first and Chris Bates hit a solo home run to left-center field in the third.

Churgy (0-3) received excellent defensive support--including two double plays started by second baseman Mark Skeels--but his teammates couldn’t cash in on several scoring opportunities. Churgy, a junior, is without a victory despite an earned-run average of 1.47 in 33 innings.

“Churgy has been the most unlucky pitcher I can imagine,” Lancer Coach Jim Hansen said. “We can’t seem to make the critical offensive play at the critical time.”

Thousand Oaks left eight runners on base, including three in the seventh. Hansen noted that a squeeze sign was missed and another runner attempted to steal after the sign was erased.

Royal (6-3-1, 2-1) returns home Friday against Westlake after playing three straight league games on the road, and the Highlanders are pleased to be tied for second with Westlake.

“I’ll take two of three away from home,” McCurdy said.

Thousand Oaks would take a win anywhere, any way.