McHargue Homer Helps Westlake Clean Up, 4-2 : Baseball: Timely two-run blast in the fifth enables Warriors pull ahead of Camarillo in Marmonte League.

THOUSAND OAKS — Mike McHargue finally hit like a cleanup hitter.

A junior who has batted in the No. 4 spot for most of the season, McHargue hit his first home run Friday, and he couldn’t have picked a better time.

His fifth-inning, two-run shot to left field was the difference for Westlake High in a 4-2 Marmonte League victory over Camarillo at Westlake.

“I knew (a home run) would come sometime soon,” McHargue said.

McHargue said Westlake assistant coach Chuck Berrington told him before the game that he would wind up with the winning hit.

“I did say that,” Berrington said. “He’s been struggling a little and I was trying to keep his confidence up. I knew he’d come through.”

McHargue’s confidence might well have been waning after he made the third out with runners in scoring position in the first and third innings. He struck out in the third.

But right-hander Nathan Kaup didn’t pitch McHargue as well in the fifth, with the score tied, 2-2, and Matt Riordan on first base. The decisive pitch was a belt-high fastball.

“Nate just got the ball up a little bit,” Camarillo catcher Mike Muller said. “And the little guy hit it out.”

McHargue, who is 5 feet 10, agreed Kaup made a mistake.

“He left it up in zone,” he said, “and I took advantage.”

The beneficiary of the home run was junior right-hander Jay Kenny (4-0), who came on in relief of starter Bill Treese in the top of the fifth. Kenny retired all six batters he faced.

“You’ve got to give them all the credit,” Camarillo Coach Scott Cline said. “Their pitching did well.”

Camarillo managed only three hits, two by first baseman Andy Kroneberger. Kroneberger’s single in the fifth drove in a run that gave the Scorpions a 2-1 lead.

Two errors by Kroneberger in the second inning helped stake Westlake to a 1-0 lead.

The Scorpions came back on a run-scoring single by Kaup in the fourth and Kroneberger’s hit in the fifth.

But Kaup (6-1) didn’t hold the lead for long. With two out in the bottom of the fifth, Riordan’s second hit of the game drove in the tying run. McHargue followed with his home run.

Camarillo (14-7, 6-4) has lost two in a row after beginning the week in a first-place tie with Westlake and Simi Valley, severely damaging its title hopes. The Scorpions trail Simi Valley by two games and Westlake by one.

The Scorpions have four games remaining--none against Simi Valley or Westlake--so their adjusted goal is to earn their first playoff berth since 1985.

Westlake (16-4, 7-3) trails Simi Valley by one game and will play the Pioneers at Simi Valley next Friday.