Toad baseball stars on a roll in Condor League
by Misty Volaski

No doubt about it, The Thacher School's boys' baseball team has the upper hand in the Condor League this year. With six wins and no losses in league, the Toads seem to be invincible. Even against non-Condor League giants such as Kilpatrick and Oaks Christian (currently ranked No. 1 in CIF), Thacher held its own.
Last Friday,Thacher played a league game against Ojai Valley School. OVS is the only team in the last several games that has actually come close to beating the Toads. Thacher coach Rich Mazzola called it "just a really great game."
Thacher found themselves behind late in the game, but rallied in the seventh inning for two runs and the win. "The OVS bats came alive in the seventh, but we picked it up when we were up to bat," Mazzola added. Toad Jimmy Madigan scored the game-winning RBI for Thacher, 4-3.
In another game against Dunn, Thacher's bats connected with the ball for nine runs on three hits. Thacher's Graham Douds (4-1) pitched the full seven innings, striking out 12 and giving up four hits.
Offensively, Richard Smith was perfect, going two for two with two doubles, three RBIs and one run scored.
Thacher beat Dunn, 9-3.
Thacher's seventh win was one of its easier games, besting Villanova 11-0 in a five-inning game. Villanova, a novice team with several players new to the sport, was overshadowed by Thacher's error-less defense, who held the Wildcats to scoreless. Dan Bartlett (1-1) pitched the no-hitter and had three strikeouts and one walk. At bat, he went two for three with a triple, double, four RBIs and a run scored.
"Dan was a force to be reckoned with out there," Mazzola said.
Other hits came from Lee Shurtleff, who was two for three with an RBI and two runs scored, while Will Johnson was two for two.
Thacher plays Dunn again tomorrow for what will most likely be the Thacher Toads' eighth win in a row.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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