Playoffs still attainable for young Charger softball squad
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers SLICK FIELDING- Agoura shortstop Desiree Beltran closes in on a ground ball during practice Monday afternoon. Charger assistant coach Dana Kuwahara has helped the team improve its defense, head coach Chance Redmond said.

The Agoura High softball team is ready to make a run at the postseason.

On Tuesday afternoon, AHS defeated Thousand Oaks 4-3, handing the Lancers their first league defeat of the season. AHS has played well during the past three weeks, going 5-3 since March 26.

After starting the season by losing six of its first eight games, the team is finally learning how to stay focused and close out contests without making mental and physical mistakes, head coach Chance Redmond said.

"I think things are starting to change," said Redmond, who's in his first full year as the varsity head coach after working as a cohead coach the previous season.

"Just this past weekend I saw a whole different team. We lost to Simi pretty bad before we went on break, but before that, every game that we'd been in we were winning up until the sixth or seventh inning."

The Charger roster features two seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen. With so much youth and inexperience playing such a significant role since opening day, Agoura went through some growing pains early on.

Late game defensive miscues cost AHS on a few occasions, and Redmond and his players shared in the frustration of losing.

"That's where the tough part comes in, because a more experienced team holds on to those victories and our record is completely different," he said.

Agoura (7-9, 3-4) bounced back by winning a pair of games on Saturday at the Daily NewsBirmingham Tournament. Junior pitcher Kim Green picked up both victories on the mound for AHS.

Green leads AHS in almost every major pitching category. She has a 7-8 record with a 1.48 ERA in 84.2 innings of work. She's struck out 60 batters and has issued 27 walks.

She doesn't always overpower the opposition with her fastball. Instead, Green utilizes eight different pitches to keep hitters guessing at the plate.

"At this level anybody can hit the fastball," Green said. "I try to keep them off-balance with curveballs and screwballs."

Green said she came into the season thinking it would be a rebuilding year for the program, and following the team's rocky start things appeared to be heading in that direction.

Agoura, however, finds itself tied for fourth place in the Marmonte League standings entering today's home game against Newbury Park. Moorpark and Westlake are both 3-4 in league as well.

"Last weekend's tournament might really help us and give us some momentum as we head into the second half of league play," Green said.

"We have the right attitude right now to be able to get (to the postseason). It would be awesome if we could get there."

To achieve their goal, the Chargers must continue to receive quality pitching performances from Green as well as Stefany Valentino and Allie Schneider.

Agoura is only batting .240 as a team, but they do have several capable hitters who can do damage at the plate.

Junior catcher Andi Smith leads the team with a .341 average and nine RBI. Junior shortstop Desiree Beltran is hitting .317 with a pair of home runs, and senior center fielder/second baseman Casey Kaufman has a .340 average with a team-high five stolen bases.

Like Green, Kaufman believes Agoura has an excellent opportunity to make the postseason.

"This year we actually have a better shot to make the playoffs because our team is so young," said Kaufman, whose sister Shannon starts in left field.

"The younger girls try so hard and have a lot of desire," she said. "We've been in just about every game so far. It's just the little mistakes that we have to fix. Otherwise we're right in there for the race to the playoffs."

The schedule won't be easy for Agoura down the stretch. The team plays four of its final six games on the road, including trips to Royal and Westlake next week.

Still, Redmond remains confident his young group can rise to the challenge.

"The key to taking the final playoff spot will be not making the same mistakes we made during the first half of league," the coach said. "We have to cut back on the unearned runs. We can't win games if we're giving runs away."