Prep baseball: CdM plays to its level: PCL’s best
Steve Virgen
CORONA DEL MAR - Undefeated in the Pacific Coast League, ranked No.
10 in Orange County and CIF Southern Section Division IV, so came the
challenge for the Corona del Mar High baseball team. The Sea Kings had
the tricky task of playing to its level.
CdM (9-3, 6-0 in league) didn’t start out like a first-place team, but
it sure ended as a top notch squad Tuesday. Junior Derek Lewis smacked a
two-run homer to break a 3-3 tie in the fifth inning and seniors Andrew
Johns and Wes Hockinson pounded a home run each in the sixth inning to
lead the Sea Kings to an 8-4 PCL victory over visiting Laguna Beach.
CdM senior righthanded pitcher Eric Snell, who relieved sophomore Nick
Rhodes, went three innings, allowing three hits and one run to earn his
third victory of the season with no losses.
“I felt like we came out a little flat,” Sea Kings’ Coach John Emme
said. “Laguna Beach always plays us well. In the second half of the game,
our bats woke and we had a good approach at the plate. But, I was
concerned early, definitely.”
The Sea Kings built a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third. With two
outs and runners on the corners, Snell handled a 1-2 pitch and singled in
senior Dave Knecht, who had walked. Johns, who went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs,
then singled in junior Billy Eagle, who had also walked. Hockinson
cracked a grounder to third base and beat the throw to first which loaded
the bases. Lewis walked to score Snell.
The Artists (2-4, 5-7), however answered with three runs, one
unearned, on four hits. With Laguna Beach runners on the corners,
freshman leftfielder Danny Whittaker ended the Artist’s rally when he
slid to his knees, grabbing Jimmy Bobst’s would-be single.
“Different guys are winning baseball games for us,” Emme said. “That’s
what you have to do. You can’t rely on one guy in baseball ... That’s
what’s gotten us here.”
In the fifth inning with one out, Lewis thumped a 2-2 pitch for his
second homer of the season, a two-run shot over centerfield, scoring
Johns, who had doubled.
The Sea Kings extended their lead in the sixth when Johns picked up
his first home run of the season, a two-run blast just inside the left
field line, bringing in Snell, who singled.
Hockinson completed the back-to-back home run sequence as he sent the
ball deep past the left center field fence for an 8-3 lead.
With two outs, Laguna Beach’s John Verdugo, who hit a homer in the
first meeting of the two teams, pounded a 1-2 pitch over the center field
fence to close out the scoring.
CdM won that first encounter, 13-9, as the Sea Kings belted five home
runs and the Artists got a hold of two. Friday at 3:15 they meet again,
at Laguna Beach.
“We get to go to the cozy confines of their field,” Emme said. “I’m
sure some balls will be flying out for both sides on Friday.”
Said Johns, “We’re coming together as a team and that’s the most
important thing for us to do. We were a little asleep at the beginning.
But, our coach told us, ‘If you’re going to be in first place you have to
act like it. You have to go out and earn it.’ “PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
Corona del Mar 8, Laguna Beach 4
Laguna Beach 000 300 1 - 4 7 1
Corona del Mar 003 023 x - 8 13 1
Merz, Dy-Buncio (5), Youngstead (6) and Baumer; Rhodes, Snell (5) and
McKeever. W - Snell, 3-0. L - Merz, 3-1. 2B - Bobst (LB), Merz (LB), Long
(CdM), Johns (CdM). HR - Verdugo (LB), Lewis (CdM), Johns (CdM),
Hockinson (CdM).
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