Agoura Gladly Accepts 2-2 Tie With Calabasas

Agoura High Coach John Crow was quick to give credit and quick to pass criticism after the Chargers tied Calabasas, 2-2, in the Frontier League opener Tuesday for both teams that was called in the bottom of the eighth inning because of darkness. First, Crow gave nature its due. When darkness descended, Calabasas had staged a 3-run eighth inning that was negated when Agoura could not complete its half of the inning.

“We got lucky,” he said. “They had us beat, and then the sun went down.”

But Crow criticized the league rule that calls for games to begin at 3:30 p.m.

“We should start games earlier than 3:30,” Crow said. “It’s just not conducive to this time of year. This game was short--a 2-2 tie. We’re not talking about a 19-2 game or anything. Something needs to be done.”

Darkness also contributed to the Calabasas rally in the eighth, Agoura players said.

“It was rough,” catcher Josh Smaler said. “I had trouble picking up where the baseball was coming, whether it was high or low.”

Calabasas took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Glenn Hansen’s RBI-groundout and Dan Glassman’s sacrifice fly.

Agoura had its chances to win in the bottom of the sixth and seventh.

Agoura scored in the sixth to cut the Calabasas lead in half and then loaded the bases with one out. With clean-up hitter Brian Smith on-deck, Crow called for a suicide squeeze, but Dave Aronowitz bunted the ball in the air to Duane Dennis, who turned the ploy into an inning-ending double play.

In the seventh, Smith struck out to start the inning but reached first when the pitch skipped past catcher David Kalman. Scott Heflin then tripled to right field to score Smith, but then Heflin became the 11th Agoura runner who was left stranded.

Agoura (3-0-1), which entered the game with a three-game win streak, suffered from overconfidence, Smaler said.

“Some of us thought this game would be a cake,” he said. “We didn’t really get mentally into the game until the sixth inning.”