Baseball: Cuyler cuts through CdM errors with mound gem

Richard Dunn

CORONA DEL MAR - With Corona del Mar High walking a fine line

Thursday, it needed every bit of senior right-hander Cavan Cuyler and his

pinpoint control.

Cuyler, whose fastball will not induce pro baseball scouts to break

out their radar guns, kept the Sea Kings perfect in the Pacific Coast

League with a gem against Northwood.

CdM, which twice defeated Northwood this season by mercy rule, was

pushed to the brink by the visiting Wolverines this time, but Cuyler

never crossed the ball-four plank and the Sea Kings beat Northwood, 5-2.

“We didn’t bring all of our weapons to the ballpark,” CdM Coach John

Emme said, “but when you’ve got a guy like Cavan Cuyler, you can get away

with it.”

Corona del Mar (12-3, 9-0 in PCL), ranked No. 9 in Orange County, won

its season-high sixth straight contest. It won five in a row before

losing a nonleague game to Garden Grove, 7-2, March 26.

While Cuyler was sharp -- allowing no earned runs and striking out six

in his no-walk, 89-pitch performance -- the Sea Kings’ defense was

suspect, committing four errors.

“(The Wolverines) did us a couple of favors early (with three

first-inning errors that led to two runs), but we did them some favors,

too,” Emme said. “I don’t like sloppy baseball. We’ve come too far to see

that. Hopefully it’s only an enigma.”

In the top of the sixth, with the hosts leading, 3-2, CdM right

fielder Jason Savopolos had to turn around and go back on a deep fly,

before grabbing it for the final out with Northwood runners on first and

third.

CdM picked up two insurance runs in the sixth -- one on Eric Snell’s

solo home run to right field -- before Cuyler, 5-1, closed out the

Wolverines (2-11, 2-7).

Andrew Johns went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Sea

Kings, while leadoff hitter David Knecht went 2 for 3 with two runs

scored. Snell also had a scoring fly ball.

Cuyler outpitched 6-foot-5 Northwood junior right-hander Tom Gray, who

gave up three earned runs and walked nobody against the PCL

front-runners.

“(Walks) have been our Achilles’ heel all season,” Northwood Coach Rob

Stuart said. “Today we could’ve snuck out a win with that type of

pitching, but I guess it just wasn’t in the cards.”

Cuyler’s shutout bid was spoiled in the fifth, when an outfield error

led to Northwood’s first run. The Wolverines scored one more unearned run

in the sixth to elevate the suspense.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 5, Northwood 2

Northwood 000 011 0 - 2 6 4

Corona del Mar 201 002 x - 5 8 4

Gray and Gragnano; Cuyler and McKeevor. W - Cuyler, 5-1. L - Gray,

1-2. 2B - Knecht (CdM). HR - Snell (CdM).