Simi Valley Loses Coach, Shortstop and Game, 7-3

Dragging a pair of three-game losing streaks with them, Simi Valley High and Alemany met in a nonleague game Saturday that neither team took lightly.

The sidelights to the first-ever baseball meeting between the Southern Section schools included constant banter between players in each dugout, Scott Sharts yelling at Alemany reliever Bill Lucid after a pair of inside pitches and the ejection of Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers and shortstop Greg Gerber.

Somewhere in the midst of all that, Alemany forged a 7-3 victory at Simi Valley.

The Pioneers (18-6) dropped their fourth straight, this time with their coach in the stands for most of the last two innings.

Scyphers earned a quick exit in the sixth inning when he questioned the infield umpire on two calls that led to a pair of Alemany runs. Scyphers returned to the dugout, loudly repeating his case, and was ejected.

But he didn’t go far.

Scyphers stood behind the center-field fence and admitted to flashing his team signs. “Everybody flashes signs,” he said.

And some get caught.

In the top of the seventh, Scyphers signaled center fielder Darren Aurand to tell Simi Valley assistant coach Rob Sullivan to go out to the mound. Aurand relayed the message to Gerber, who was ejected when he walked toward the dugout to deliver the message to Sullivan.

“The umpire said stay there,” Gerber said. “And I said, ‘I have to give him a message.’ ”

After the game, Scyphers followed the infield umpire off the diamond to complain about Gerber’s ejection. He finished his tirade succinctly: “I never want to see you again.”

Calmer heads prevailed for Alemany (17-8).

Lucid relieved starter Charlie Winner with one out and two runners on base in the sixth and Alemany ahead, 5-3. He got out of the inning by striking out Don Giannone and getting Darren Lloyd to ground out to second.

Not bad for a guy who said he slept only two hours the night before because he attended Alemany’s prom. Lucid allowed no hits in 1 innings and struck out two to earn his second save.

Winner gave up four hits and struck out two to raise his record to 3-0.

Alemany’s 12-hit attack was led by Bill Horvat, who had 2 hits and 3 runs batted in, and Mike Gartlan’s 2 hits and 2 RBIs. Alemany shortstop Greg Biley tied the score at 3-3 with a two-run home run in the third inning.

Gerber gave Simi Valley (18-6) a 2-0 lead in the first inning when he doubled in Aurand and Tim Laker. Aurand had two of Simi Valley’s four hits and scored two runs.