Dustin Dunwoody’s 11 strikeouts lead Royal baseball past Moorpark

MOORPARK — The scouting report didn’t disappoint.

With a slew of scouts in attendance, Royal starting pitcher Dustin Dunwoody dominated.

On the back of Dunwoody’s performance, the Highlanders earned a 5-1 win over the Moorpark in a Coastal Canyon League game Friday.

“Make every single pitch its own game and try to win as many pitches as you possibly can,” Dunwoody said. “And more pitches you win, the better chance you have to win the game.”

After a long first inning where he allowed a run, Dunwoody, a University of Arizona commit, settled in. He went on to throw 6⅔ innings, allowed five hits and no runs after the first, with 11 strikeouts.

Royal head coach Dan Maye said Dunwoody showed his improvement this season by making it to the seventh inning.

“He also was a lot more minded that, ‘Hey, let’s not waste some pitches just to get strikeouts,’ because earlier in the year, when he was doing that, he was limited,” Maye said, “because he had to come out in the fifth inning.”

Royal improved to 16-2 overall and 6-0, while Moorpark dropped to 13-6, 1-5.

It was Moorpark’s defense, though, that cost it the game.

In the top of the second, Royal designated hitter Jackson Lara dropped down a bunt with runners on first and second.

Moorpark starting pitcher Carson Cerny fielded the ball and threw it into left field, allowing Stout to score and putting runners on second and third with no outs.

In the next inning, the Musketeers’ defense cost them two runs. The Musketeers first baseman misplayed a chopped ball, allowing Royal left fielder Isaiah Tillman to reach first. Tillman then advanced to second on a passed ball.

With runners on second and third with one out and the infield in, Royal second baseman Noah Vasquez hit a blooper that landed in shallow right field and allowed a run to score.

“I told these guys at the beginning of the game that the team that made the least amount of mistakes today was going to win the ball game,” Moorpark assistant coach Sam Cohen said.

In the fourth, Royal had runners on second and third with no outs when Stout hit a ground ball right at third baseman Austin Nichols, who booted the ball, allowing another run to score as the Highlanders took a 4-1 lead.

In the top of the fourth there was a brief delay when Maye and the home plate umpire started arguing after Moorpark had its left fielder and third baseman switch positions.

Maye said the umpire told him the opposing coach didn’t need to tell the umpire about the change until one of the two players in the switch came up to bat, which caused the argument.

“He (ump) goes, ‘Well, I’ve already told you that’s the rule,’” Maye said. “I said, ‘Well, I think you’re wrong,’ and he goes, ‘Well, that’s what we’re gonna go by, so either go back to the box or go to the dugout.’”

In the seventh, Dunwoody and pitcher Andrew O’Brien got the final three outs to beat Moorpark for the second consecutive game.