Softball: CdM edges Newport before falling in finals

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - It started as a game neither team deserved to lose,

then became a game neither team wanted to win.

In the end, the Corona del Mar High softball team crossed the finish

line a half-step ahead of crosstown-rival Newport Harbor in a 6-5,

nine-inning, Costa Mesa Tournament semifinals’ masterpiece played at

TeWinkle Park.

“Any time you can beat Newport Harbor, it’s always exciting,” CdM

Coach Terry Christiano said. “It’s been a long time since a CdM team took

home any hardware from a softball tournament, so it says a lot for how

far our program has improved the past two years.”

Following the 2-hour, 40-minute semifinals’ clash with the Sailors,

the out-of-gas Sea Kings took on Century and lost, 11-0, in the finals.

Freshman Katrina Redelsheimer, a junior varisty call-up, made the most

of her time at varsity. She drove in three runs, including the game-tying

run in the eighth inning and the game-winning run in the ninth.

“Katrina seemed to always be up with the pressure on and she did a

great job,” Christiano said. “She got the big hit when we needed it.”

Redelsheimer’s two-out single in the ninth inning drove in Alissa

Zoelle with the winning run.

Newport Harbor (3-1) held on to a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of

the six inning, when the defense took a little nap.

An infield hit by Zoelle and a botched sacrifice play led to an RBI

single by Meaghan Bunney, tying the game.

Three batters later, Redelsheimer hit a fly ball to left field deep

enough to score Lauren Loe for a 2-1 CdM advantage.

Newport tied the game in the seventh when Sabrina Couch singled, went

to second and third on wild pitches and scored on a single by Athena

Vasquez. A strong defensive play by the Sea Kings’ trio of center fielder

Andrea Gruber, second baseman Lauren Loe and catcher Amy Tyson prevented

a second run from scoring on the play, keeping the game tied at 2-2.

After a 1-2-3 eighth inning by Newport pitcher Stephanie Ciralli,

Newport took a 4-2 lead. Bailey Beardon’s one-out RBI single brought in

Lisa Huntington, who led off with a walk. Beardon would later score on a

CdM error.

CdM managed to tie the game, yet again, in the bottom of the eighth.

After CdM loaded the bases with walks, Gruber singled home Loe and

Redelsheimer brought home Meaghan Bunney.

Newport, again, regained the lead in the ninth when Ciralli singles

and scored on a single by Amanda Campbell. The CdM right fielder

misplayed Campbell’s hit, allowing the Sailors’ catcher a chance to come

all the way around to score an all-important insurance run.

But, Tyson managed to tag out a leaping Campbell at the plate to end

the inning and kept CdM within one run.

CdM, again, managed to load the bases with no outs. Meaghan Bunney’s

grounder up the middle scored Mijanou Pham to tie the game at 5-5. Two

batters later, Redelsheimer’s hit ended the marathon game.

“We had some errors, but we somehow found a way to come through,”

Christiano said. “We did a great job of just hanging in there.”

COSTA MESA TOURNAMENT

Semifinals

Corona del Mar 6, Newport Harbor 5

Newport Harbor 000 100 121 - 5 11 2

Corona del Mar 000 002 022 - 6 6 3

Ciralli and Campbell, Huntington (9); Zoelle, Pham (9) and Tyson. W -

Pham. L - Ciralli. 2B - Huntington (NH). 3B - Pham (CdM)

Championship finals

Century 11, Corona del Mar 0

Century 600 41 - 11 6 1

Corona del Mar 000 00 - 0 6 2

Soto and Andrade; Pham and Tyson. W - Soto. L - Pham.