By Kyle Jorrey jorrey@theacorn.com

ROYAL TREATMENT-Highlander senior Jen Troncali smacks the ball during her team's 4-1 victory over Thousand Oaks on Tuesday.

Any hopes of Thousand Oaks snatching a piece of the Marmonte League softball title from the red hot Royal Highlanders were dashed Tuesday as RHS won, 4-1, to assure themselves sole possession of the league crown. Yesterday, Royal (23-2, 12-1) completed the regular season with a home contest against rival Simi.

After winding up as co-champions with the Lancers two out of the last three seasons, the Highlanders were dead set on achieving sole superiority.

"The (T.O.) game was big for us because we didn’t want to have to share the title again," Royal head coach Bill Dishon said. "This year we really wanted it for ourselves."

With the Lancers looking a little out of snyc early, the Highlanders quickly responded, scoring all four of their runs in the first three innings. Most came by way of T.O fielding errors that allowed Royal to take advantage of the free passes issued by Lancer starter Suzanna Cominksi.

"The little things really hurt us today," T.O. head coach Gary Walin said. "We gave away too many runs and you just can’t do that against a good ball club. We just weren’t sharp."

The biggest hit of the game came off the bat of Royal’s Kacee Cox, who laced a double over the head of the T.O. center fielder that scored Rebecca Heteniak in the Highlanders’ three-run third inning. The Highlanders ended the game with five hits.

Just as they did against Agoura two weeks earlier, the Lancers struggled to produce at the plate against Royal’s hard-throwing junior Jessi Waers.

Waers had a no-hitter through five innings until T.O. outfielder Erin McMorrow came through with a single. Thousand Oaks didn’t get on the board until catcher Marla Mathews’ sixth-inning double scored Kelly Cordiero.

Though a playoff spot was already secured, Waers said her teammates came into this game with a heavy desire to win—and sweep the season series with the always pesky Lancers. On April 14, it took 10 innings for Royal to defeat T.O., 5-4.

"Thousand Oaks has always been a hard game for us, so we definitely wanted to win," Waers said. "We came into this game pumped, but then again, we go into every game pumped. That’s just how we are."

Waers said the Highlanders’ reason for success this year is simple.

"What we’ve got is a bunch of girls who can play softball. We have good fielders, good hitters, good pitchers . . . we’re just all good," the junior said.

Walin said Royal’s senior-laden lineup was just too much for his still-young Lancer squad.

"Experience can be real crucial," Walin said. "Today, Royal’s experience really showed. Some of our girls just looked unsure of themselves at times."

After yesterday’s contest with Simi Valley, the Highlanders must now play the waiting game as they await the announcement of the Southern Section’s Div. I playoff bracket. Having dropped just two games all year, expect the Highlanders, currently ranked No. 4, to wind up in good position.

The first day of the playoffs is Wed., May 18.

"We’re always looking to improve, but I think the girls are peaking at the right time," Dishon said. "We’re not looking to lose to anybody. Confidence is really high right now.

Dishon said his team is starting to live up to the high expectations it set for itself in the preseason.

"A lot of what we hoped for is starting to come to fruition," he said."

He hopes the best is yet to come.