After winning the outright league title last year for the first time since 2005, the Sharks entered this season with expectations to repeat as champions. They fulfilled that goal, albeit in a five-way tie.
In a rare set of events that unfolded last week, Malibu tied for the Frontier League title along with Santa Paula, Carpinteria, Fillmore and Santa Clara. Each school sported a 6-4 league record after 10 games.
In order to determine the three automatic berths for the CIF playoffs, a coin flip was first held to decide the third-place team. Carpinteria won the flip while Malibu and Santa Paula were chosen (via another coin flip) to “play-in” for the No. 1 league seed. Fillmore and Santa Clara would “play-in” to settle the No. 2 seed.
When the dust finally settled, Malibu had defeated Santa Paula, 4-3, on a walk-off walk that forced in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Santa Clara shut out Fillmore, 7-0, to take second place.
As a result, Malibu (15-12, 7-4) will play California Lutheran in the first round of the CIF Division VI playoffs at home on Thursday at 3 p.m.
“It means a lot especially being a senior and ending our league this way. It’s something that I will always remember about my high school baseball career,” Noah Simon said. “It’s very exciting to be in the CIF playoffs again. Not only does the whole team deserve it for how hard we have been working, but especially for each one of the seniors.”
The final week of the regular season was as crazy as the first four weeks. The Sharks were tied at the top of the league standings with two games remaining versus Carpinteria.
On a hot Tuesday afternoon at MHS, the Sharks rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring three runs to prevail, 4-3, on Senior Day. Simon earned the complete game victory by throwing a scoreless seventh and striking out the final hitter with a man on second base.
“I wasn’t going to leave this field without a win on Senior Day. All the seniors played their hearts out,” Simon said. “It’s a great feeling with the way we won. I had no doubt in my mind we were going to do that. I trusted the team and had no worries whatsoever.”
Ezra Allen (3-4) laced a single to right field, scoring the decisive run.
“I was looking for that exact pitch to take the other way. It was a changeup on the outside and I just waited for it,” Allen said. “I was pretty pumped and just happy to get a win for the seniors. I’m trying the best I can to make them happy.”
Two days later, Malibu traveled up the coast to Carpinteria looking to clinch the league title. The Warriors had other thoughts overcoming a 4-2 Malibu lead and winning, 5-4, in nine innings. Simoneau pitched five strong innings and gave up one run while Bronson Bard knocked in 2 RBIs. Nick Anthony and Cade McMillin added RBI singles.
By the day’s end, five teams had tied for the league championship setting up the “play-in” games last Friday at St. Bonaventure High School.
The Sharks jumped out to an early 3-0 lead only for Santa Paula to claw back and tie the game at three apiece after five innings. In the bottom of the seventh, three Malibu players were hit by pitches, including Bard, whose RBI plated Anthony to set off a raucous celebration.
Chase Lambert had 2 hits, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases and 1 run scored. Simon pitched three innings in relief, giving up one run and earning his second win of the season.
Lambert, Chris Falk and Dylan Ross made several standout defensive plays to keep Santa Paula at bay.
“We have a fighting mentality and a never-say-die attitude. We put ourselves in a position to win it and it’s a testament to the guys,” Malibu coach Ari Jacobs said.