Moorpark’s Martin is Making Habit of Beating Simi Valley

Something about playing Simi Valley High brings out the best in Jennilee Martin of Moorpark.

Martin hit a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Musketeers a 3-1 victory over three-time defending champion Simi Valley in a semifinal game of the Simi Valley softball tournament at Rancho Community Park on Saturday night.

Martin doubled home the winning run when the teams met in a Marmonte League game last season. Each time, her game-winning hit came off Jamie Astorino.

“I know Jamie and we are friends,” Martin said. “Last year, I hit a double to beat her, but this one means more because I hit the ball right on the fatty part of the bat. I had been a catcher ever since I started playing, but coach moved me to the outfield last season and that has been a difficult adjustment.”

As soon as Sarah Barker crossed the plate with Moorpark’s third run, the game was called because it exceeded the hour-and-a-half time limit for tournament games.

“This is a huge win for us for two reasons,” said Coach Kathy Nash of Moorpark. “First, because this is only our second year in the [Marmonte League] and everyone thought we’d be the doormats the first couple of seasons. Secondly, this is a big confidence booster because we play [Simi Valley] in our league opener Thursday.”

Moorpark (5-0) moved from the Frontier League to the seven-team Marmonte League last season and finished fifth.

Barker (2-0) pitched a four-hitter, striking out four and walking two.

Catcher Jenni Shields’ single in the third scored Cindy Gray from third for Simi Valley (4-2).

Astorino (2-1) pitched a six-hitter and struck out three.

Moorpark tied the score, 1-1, in the fifth when Erin LaFata singled to center field and Nicole Brown slid under Shields’ tag at the plate.

“We got a one-run lead and we sat on it,” Coach Suzanne Manlet of Simi Valley said. “Our motto is the little things make it happen and we didn’t do the little things. The momentum changed when they tied it and we never got it back.”

Kelly Konysky and Barker hit consecutive singles to start Moorpark’s sixth-inning rally. Sarah Bridges ran for Konysky at second base and scored the go-ahead run on Martin’s double two pitches later. Barker, running hard from first, also scored.

Moorpark plays Dos Pueblos in the championship game next Saturday.

Dos Pueblos (5-1) defeated Lompoc, 9-0, in the other semifinal in a game that was called after five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.

In other Simi Valley games:

Simi Valley 3, Calabasas 1--Brittney Green (2-0) pitched a four-hitter with six strikeouts and had one run batted in for the Pioneers in a quarterfinal game.

Calabasas (2-1) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a single by Jessica Madick, but Simi Valley scored three runs in the bottom of the inning.

Moorpark 3, Burroughs 2--Christy Daley’s two-run single in the fifth inning erased a 2-1 deficit for the Musketeers in a quarterfinal game.