HS BASE: Mousselli leads Valencia to DI victory

VALENCIA - Robbie Mousselli, the Foothill League's returning player of the year, has labored through such a pitching slump over the past month that he was nearly pulled from the rotation.

The senior right-hander from Valencia High implored coach Jared Snyder for one more chance Tuesday in a Southern Section Div. I second-round playoff game against visiting Lakewood.

"Coach asked me if I wanted it or should he pitch Josh Corralles again. I said, 'No way, I want it more than anything," Mousselli said.

So it was with renewed focus and determination that Mousselli took the mound with the season on the line, and he came through in a big way, holding Lakewood (21-12) to two singles and striking out nine in a complete-game 4-0 victory to propel Valencia (22-7) into the semifinals Friday at Simi Valley.

"It's true. We did ask Robbie if it might be better if Josh pitches again, but he told me he could do it," Snyder said. "This was the most mentally prepared I think he's ever been. We just had to give him the rock because when he said he could do it, I believed him."
Mousselli (6-2) also delivered a bouncing two-run double down the left-field line in the bottom of the sixth to break a scoreless tie, as Lakewood third baseman Brandon Gillilan unconventionally failed to cover the corner.

Like a lot of Lakewood's supporters, including coach Spud O'Neil, who would argue the call with the umpire, Gillilan thought Mousselli's hit was foul.

"It looked foul to me ... and the coach wanted me to play off the line for a double play and not for the dead pull," Gillilan said. "I think we could have won this game."
What did Mousselli think?

"No comment," he said with a smile.

Snyder conceded he would have had his third baseman play closer to the line in that situation - "no doubt about it," he said -- but he also believed the call was correct.

"It looked fair," Snyder said. "In a close game, there is always going to be some controversy like that."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com