Prep baseball: Skyline flattens Sea Kings

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Already having seethed for a few innings, Corona

del Mar High baseball coach John Emme marched purposefully to the

equipment shed after the final out Saturday. He then mounted the

four-wheel ATV to drag the infield dirt, seemingly blowing off steam as

he kicked up dust.

“I’m not happy,” Emme said after preparing the field for the second

game of the Pride of the Coast Tournament’s opening round Saturday at the

CdM.

The Sea Kings’ 8-3 loss to Skyline High from Utah was hardly enough to

work Emme into such a state. After all, the Eagles are reigning Class 5-A

(the highest classification) Region I champions back home and are now

10-3 and leading their league this spring.

But the way CdM lost, had Emme more than mildly miffed.

“We came out flat today, with pitchers balking and changing pickoff

plays we’ve run 4,000 times in practice,” Emme said. “We’re going to talk

right now and we’re going to do some soul searching, because I can’t

tolerate that. I’m embarrassed as a coach.”

The Sea Kings committed four errors, but a handful of additional

blunders did not make the line score.

CdM, which had won six in a row and 11 of its last 12, did erase a 2-0

deficit with a three-run rally in the third inning. But, Skyline,

operating behind the strong pitching of senior right-hander Tom Vest,

kept the pressure on.

The Eagles tied the game in the fourth, then added single runs in the

fifth and sixth, before padding their lead with a three-run seventh.

Though managing just six hits, the school from Salt Lake City, with an

enrollment of around 1,700 according to its coach, scored in every inning

but the first.

Three walks and a balk helped Skyline open the scoring in the second,

and a CdM bobble in the middle of what could have been an inning-ending

double play, allowed another run to score in the third.

The Sea Kings (12-4), ranked No. 9 in Orange County and CIF Southern

Section Division IV, initiated their lone scoring rally when Dave Knecht

reached on a one-out error. Billy Eagle followed with a slicing double to

right-center field and Andrew Johns looped a two-run single to left.

After Eric Snell walked, Vest got the second out on a flyout, then hit

Wes Hockinson to load the bases. Johns then came home when an infield

grounder was booted for the second error of the inning, but Vest, who

improved to 4-1 with his second complete game, got the final out to leave

the bases loaded.

Vest, who displayed a wicked breaking ball, struck out nine, walked

two and allowed only six hits.

“Tommy did a good job for us,” Skyline coach Troy Morris said. “He was

really in control out there.”

Vest allowed just three hits the final four innings, when only one CdM

base runner got past first base.

The Sea Kings stranded eight and received just one hit in 15 at-bats

from the bottom five spots in their order.

“(Assistant Coach Aaron Kokx) told the guys sitting on the bench today

that they should be licking their chops,” said Emme, hinting Monday’s

lineup card could have more than a few changes.

Knecht went 2 for 4 and reached three times in the leadoff spot, while

Snell and Hockinson also had hits.

CdM will host Santa Ana Monday at 2 p.m. in the consolation

quarterfinals.

Matt Ciaramella, a switch-hitting senior center fielder who has

committed to the University of Utah, went 2 for 5, including his sixth

home run of the season for the winners.

First baseman Tony Harris was 2 for 2 and scored twice for Skyline

advances to meet Moorpark in Monday’s 11 a.m. championship quarterfinal

at CdM.

PRIDE OF THE COAST TOURNAMENT

First round

Skyline 8, Corona del Mar 3

Skyline 011 111 3 - 8 6 3 Corona del Mar 003 000 0 - 3 6 4

Vest and Barnes; Snell, Knecht (6) and McKeever. W - Vest, 4-1. L -

Snell, 3-1. 2B - Herbert (S), Eagle (CdM), Harris (S). HR - Ciaramella

(S).