Clark Cleans Up, La Reina Wins

THOUSAND OAKS —  Tracey Clark drove in 17 runs last season as the cleanup hitter at La Reina High and hardly anyone noticed.

She was left off the All-Southern Section softball team despite batting .435 and helping the Regents to the Division V title.

That sort of thing can happen when your catcher bats .553 with nine home runs, 37 runs batted in and takes home almost all the postseason awards.

But if Thursday’s 5-1 victory over Oak Park in a Tri-Valley League opener at La Reina was any indication, it will be difficult to overlook Clark this season.

The junior third baseman highlighted a four-run third with a two-run single and added a solo home run in the fifth as La Reina embarked on its quest for a fifth consecutive league title.

That kind of production will be crucial as the Regents continue to find their identity without Mackenzie Vandergeest, The Times’ Ventura County player of the year last season before moving on to Arizona.

“I don’t feel [the pressure to replace Vandergeest] so much,” said Clark, who entered the week batting .370. “The whole lineup has to pull its weight.”

It did against Oak Park.

No. 9 hitter Lindsay Sehnem was three for three to spark a nine-hit attack against Melissa Johnson (6-3).

Kim McAfee made three dazzling plays at second base and KC Robertson (2-6) struck out six in a five-hitter, yielding only an unearned run in the seventh.

The game was scoreless until the third, when Clark hit a one-out single to left to score Sehnem and McAfee.

Monica Thompson also scored on the play, when Clark’s hit was misplayed in left field. Clark scored one out later on a single by Breezy Ward.

Oak Park tried to answer in the fourth, but Robertson worked her way out of a bases-loaded jam with none out.

La Reina’s 4-8 record might not be impressive, but the Regents play one of their division’s toughest schedules, their losses all coming against Channel, Marmonte and Mission league teams from higher divisions.

“Things started [Thursday] and the rest of everything didn’t matter,” Coach Don Hyatt said. “It was how they responded [Thursday] that counts.”

Nicole Purkey had two infield hits for Oak Park (6-5), which began the season 1-3 without starting third baseman Jannel Buckley and shortstop Michelle Bregar, who were helping the Eagles to their first section basketball title.

If they want a shot at a softball title, they’re going to have to get through La Reina. That means neutralizing Clark, who has 10 total bases and four RBIs in her last five at-bats against Oak Park.

“We’ll reevaluate how we throw to her,” Coach Roger Newell of Oak Park said. “Yeah, we’ll do something different.”