Prep baseball: Hockinson’s heroics lift CdM, 2-1

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Wes Hockinson joined the 2001 Corona del Mar High

baseball heroes club Tuesday and his initiation could not have come at a

better time.

“Wes was overdue,” CdM Coach John Emme said of his senior second

baseman, who came through with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth

inning against visiting Century.

Hockinson lined a first-pitch fastball into the left-field corner to

drive in the winning run in a 2-1 Pride of the Coast Tournament

consolation victory. The game-winning hit, one of several by various CdM

players this spring, could have ramifications far more important than

Tuesday’s win.

“I had been a little down on myself mentally lately,” Hockinson

confessed. “I started off well (offensively) this season, but then the

last six games or so, I had struggled. I came early before today’s game

to get some cuts in. This should help my mentality the rest of the

season.”

The big hit also helped CdM sophomore left-hander Nick Rhodes cash in

another quality mound performance. Rhodes went the distance, allowing

nine hits and no earned runs, with one walk and three strikeouts. He

stranded at least one base runner in every inning, 10 in all. He threw

108 pitches to record his fifth victory without a loss in his first

varsity season.

“Nick deserved that (win),” Emme said. “He had guys on base in every

inning, but he battled and made the pitches he needed to.”

The Sea Kings’ defense, though guilty of four errors, also made the

plays it needed to, including nailing two Centurions at the plate.

The most dramatic defensive play came in the Century eighth, when

pinch-runner Ruben Pineda attempted to score from second on a two-out

single by Tori Garcia.

CdM left fielder Dave Knecht charged the ball near the line and threw

a strike to catcher Rory McKeever, who smothered the ball on a short hop,

then held his ground as Pineda slid right into the tag.

The home plate umpire initially made the safe signal, but quickly

reversed himself and the inning ended with the game still deadlocked.

“Rory tagged him and had the ball in his stomach in his bare hand,”

Emme said. “The ump said safe and I ran out of the dugout like a mad man.

But, when I got to the plate, (the ump) said ‘He’s out and I called him

out.’ It was the best answer I ever got from an umpire in my life. I

think he thought out and said safe and, to his credit, he corrected

himself. Rory did a great job blocking the plate and Dave made a great

throw.”

The winning rally was set up by two Century errors on the same play,

the only miscues of the game for the visitors (4-15).

Billy Eagle bounced to the third baseman, who threw high to first.

Eagle raced to second as the first baseman retrieved the ball in foul

ground, then threw wildly to third. As the ball got away, Eagle moved to

third.

Hoping to create a force play at the plate, Century Coach Nate

Guerrero had Andrew Johns and Eric Snell walked intentionally to load the

bases. But Hockinson ruined the strategy with his third hit of the day.

Hockinson, 3 for 4, was the only Sea King with multiple hits, though

Keith Long, Johns, Snell and McKeever also contributed to the seven-hit

attack off Century left-hander Freddy Medina.

Medina, who absorbed the tough-luck loss to fall to 1-4, struck out

four and walked five, including the two intentional passes. He blanked

the Sea Kings for six straight innings, after giving up a run in the

first.

Long doubled with one out to spark the first-inning CdM rally, then

advanced to third on a flyout. After a walk, a wild pitch allowed Long to

score.

That run stood up until the fourth, when Jimmy Ruiz singled with one

out, went to second on a groundout and scored when a CdM infielder

whiffed on a ground ball.

Long gunned down another Century runner at the plate in the first,

knocking down a sinking liner, retrieving the ball in short left field,

then throwing a strike on the fly to McKeever who applied the tag.

Rhodes also benefited from a sparkling double play to end the seventh.

After a runner reached on a one-out error, long fielded a sharp ground to

short and flipped to Hockinson, who, with the runner sliding into him,

made the turn.

Hockinson also made a fine play on a weak chopper, charging the ball

near the mound, then making an accurate off-balance throw to Johns for

the out.

The victory would have propelled the Sea Kings (14-4), ranked No. 9 in

Orange County, into the consolation championship today. But, honoring a

previous agreement not to play Pacific Coast League rival Costa Mesa, CdM

will instead host Santa Ana Valley today at 11 a.m. to conclude the

tournament.

PRIDE OF THE COAST TOURNAMENT

Consolation game

Corona del Mar 2, Century 1

Century 000 100 00 - 1 9 2 Corona del Mar 100 000 01 - 2 7 4

Medina and Ceja; Rhodes and McKeever. W - Rhodes, 5-0. L - Medina,

1-4. 2B - Long (CdM), Ceja (C), Snell (CdM).