Pushed Hard by Scyphers, Simi Valley Makes It Look Easy, 9-0 : High school baseball: After a week of grueling practices, the Pioneers are too much for Loyola.

The Simi Valley High baseball team has had a rough week.

But it ended smoothly with a 9-0 rout over Loyola on Friday in the opening round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs at Simi Valley.

The Pioneers were jubilant, shaking hands and back-slapping in the dugout after senior right-hander Trevor Leppard (8-1) struck out nine in six innings and shackled the Cubs on two hits. Scott Miller and Kevin Nykoluk hit home runs to pace a 12-hit attack.

Simi Valley (24-3), ranked second nationally by USA Today for much of the season, will play Montebello, a 13-1 winner over Santa Monica, in a second-round game Tuesday at a site to be determined.

“This is what it’s all about,” Leppard said. “We’ve got to get it done in the playoffs. Each game, I gotta turn it up a notch and so does the whole team.”

Or else.

Last week, Simi Valley lost its Marmonte League finale to cross-town rival Royal, costing the Pioneers the honor of entering the playoffs as the division’s top-seeded team. The Pioneers are seeded second to Crespi.

That prompted Pioneer Coach Mike Scyphers to turn it up a notch in practice. Afternoon gatherings this week were devoted to running. And running.

“I’m glad we won after that week,” said senior shortstop Ryan Briggs, who had a single and double in four at-bats. “My legs are tired. I’ve never slept so good in my life.

“Whenever we lose a game, I feel sorry for the next pitcher we face.”

Pity right-hander Robby Green (6-7), who was tagged for three runs in the first inning and exited after four innings with Simi Valley leading, 7-0.

In the first, Nykoluk and Bill Scheffels had run-scoring singles, and Ryan Hankins added a run-scoring double.

Miller’s monstrous solo shot in the fourth, his first home run of the season, extended the lead to 4-0. Nykoluk’s two-run shot, his seventh, highlighted a four-run fifth.

By that time, Leppard, who struck out five of the first eight batters he faced, appeared untouchable.

Loyola (11-12), which won six of its previous seven games to finish third in the Mission League, managed only a first-inning double by Wesley Rachels and a second-inning infield single by Todd Rosa.

“They’re good,” Loyola Coach Kelly Nicholson said of Simi Valley.

Good and tired.

“We were taking it lightly,” Nykoluk said. “(Scyphers) made it seem more serious.”