SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Ocean View Loses to Thousand Oaks

No one was going to stop the Thousand Oaks High School softball team from advancing to its first-ever Southern Section 4-A championship game. Not even the Lancers’ own coach.

With two outs and two on in the third inning of the Lancers’ 3-1 victory over Ocean View on Tuesday, Thousand Oaks’ Julie Chellevold took off from second base on teammate Jamie Heggen’s single to right. Coach Chuck Brown signaled for Chellevold to stop at third.

But the junior catcher ran right through Brown’s sign and beat right fielder Jennifer Phillips’ throw to the plate. And when the ball got past catcher Korrie Bacon, Chellevold’s sister, Amy, also scored.

The play wiped out a 1-0 deficit and propelled Thousand Oaks to the win at Borchard Park in Newbury Park. Thousand Oaks (23-8), which finished third in the Marmonte League, will play Cypress, a 1-0 winner over Marina, for the championship at 8 p.m. Saturday at Mayfair Park in Lakewood.

Ocean View (15-13), which finished fourth in the Sunset League, scored an unearned run in the second inning. Bacon stole second and came around to score when Julie Chellevold’s throw got past second baseman Marsha Bour and center fielder Shani Smyth.