Barstow protest upheld

The Barstow High School softball team, which had lost to No. 1 seed Calvary Murrieta in the first round of the CIF-SS Division V playoffs Thursday, had its protest upheld by the CIF-SS offices and will advance according to a press release sent out by CIF Friday morning.

The Aztecs' protest was based on Calvary Murrieta taking illegal batting practice on the day of the game. The rule, listed below, was spelled out in the CIF's press release:

"Teams entered in the softball playoffs WILL NOT be permitted to take batting practice on the day of the scheduled contest. Batting practice will be construed as any type of pitching motion with ANY type of ball from in front of the batter (including pitching machines, underhand tossing, overhand throwing or pepper). THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE BATTING WARMUP WILL BE SIDE SOFT TOSS. The player who tosses the ball should be on a knee and to the side of the batter. The ball should be lifted, not pitched, to the batter. THE PENALTY FOR BATTING PRACTICE WITH WIFFLE BALL, SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, ETC. MAY BE FORFEITURE OF GAME."

With the win, which will go down in the books as a 7-0 Barstow victory, the Aztecs will advance to play at Anaheim Western at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday.