Grace Brethren foils Toads' championship hopes in Div. VI finals
by Misty Volaski

With its 17-game winning streak, The Thacher School's boy's baseball squad topped Ventura County's record books as the team with the highest number of consecutive wins in the past 20 years.
However, it was Grace Brethren who broke the Toads' streak, with a 3-1 win in the CIF Division VI finals.
Thacher's sole run of the game came in the top of the first inning
"It was a good, old-fashioned pitcher's duel," Mazzola commented, noting that his team felt "comfotable" with Graham Douds on the mound.
The runs, which were spread out on both teams, came mostly in the first inning. After Thacher's run, Grace Brethren responded with two in the bottom of the first, then one more in the sixth to ensure Grace Brethren the title.
Charlie Munzig held Thacher's only RBI and was the only Toad with two hits.
Though the Toads bested Grace Brethren in the regular season, coach Rich Mazzola said that the two teams were well-matched.
"This game had a lot of history coming up to it," Mazzola said. "We've met up with them five times in the past, and we've had three losses and two wins against them. We knew it would be a good matchup."
Though the task of winning a game against a three-time CIF champion may seem daunting, having the advantage of winning 5-4 in their last meeting gave Thacher the confidence to play hard and well. "We were up to the challenge of a big game," said Mazzola.
The two teams broke another record, this time as the only two Ventura County teams to make it into the finals in CIF baseball history.
'Before we even set foot onto the field, the game had a lot of history," Mazzola said. "It was just good baseball."

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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