Prep baseball: CdM protects PCL lead

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - The Corona del Mar High baseball team clinched the

Newport-Mesa District championship Monday, but that wasn’t exactly the

one the Sea Kings had in mind.

A 7-2 victory over visiting Costa Mesa, however, kept the Sea Kings

(16-8, 11-3 in league) a half-game ahead of University in the Pacific

Coast League standings, heading into Wednesday’s regular-season finale.

University, which beat the Sea Kings twice last week to trim a 3 1/2-game

deficit, defeated Estancia Monday, 9-5.

CdM needs a victory over Costa Mesa (7 p.m. at TeWinkle Park) or a

University loss at Estancia Wednesday (3:15 p.m.) to claim the outright

league crown, its first in at least 19 years. CdM shared the Sea View

League title in 1999.

Monday’s win, a complete-game four-hitter by senior right-hander Eric

Snell, assured the Sea Kings of winning the three-game series against

Mesa, which they defeated, 5-4, in nine innings, March 30.

With a 2-1 series edge over Estancia and without playing Newport

Harbor, which lost to Mesa its only district matchup, CdM can stake sole

claim to Newport-Mesa bragging rights.

But any celebration will wait until Wednesday.

“This was our fourth consecutive game with first place at stake, so

we’re getting used to it,” CdM Coach John Emme said. “We have Cavan

Cuyler and Nick Rhodes (each with six pitching wins this season) rested

and ready for Wednesday.”

Cuyler, a senior right-hander, will get the start, an assignment that

went to Snell Monday, due to his strong performance in the first Costa

Mesa game.

Snell, who had started only one other game this season, pitched the

final two innings against Mesa the first time around, yielding no hits or

runs.

This time, the two second-inning runs he gave up were unearned and he

blanked the CIF playoff-bound Mustangs (15-8-1, 7-6-1) the other six innings. He walked five and struck out five.

“(Snell’s) fastball is down below the knees,” Emme said. “It’s awful

tough to hit when he throws it there in the low 80s (mph).”

Snell said he enjoyed the challenge of starting such a big game.

“(Emme) told me Saturday night I might start, so I came prepared

today,” Snell said. “I know Costa Mesa is a good team, but I was

confident going in. I didn’t expect to go seven innings, but I felt

pretty well as the game went along, especially after we took the lead.”

After a passed ball and an RBI double by Josh Feldman put the Mustangs

ahead, 2-0, CdM countered with two of its own in the second inning.

Rory McKeever drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice and Dave

Knecht, returning from a two-week absence due to mononucleosis, doubled

in the equalizer.

The game remained tied until the CdM fifth, when senior center fielder

Billy Eagle lifted a two-run home run over the right-center field fence,

plating Keith Long who had singled to start the frame.

A pair of Mesa errors helped the Sea Kings add three insurance runs in

the sixth, when Knecht and Long picked up RBIs on groundouts.

All seven of CdM’s hits came from the top four spots in the order, but

each of the remaining spots got on base at least once.

Eagle went 3 for 4 and Knecht went 2 for 4 to pace the winners.

Costa Mesa, which has locked up third place, played well, according to

its coach, Kirk Bauermeister.

“We’re trying to build momentum for the playoffs,” Bauermeister said.

“We had some chances, but we didn’t get the big hits and Snell clutched

up.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 7, Costa Mesa 2

Costa Mesa 020 000 0 - 2 4 3

Corona del Mar 020 023 x - 7 7 1

Costelloe, Haubrick (5), Franco (6) and Hunter; Snell and McKeever. W

- Snell, 4-1. L - Costelloe, 4-2. 2B - Eagles (CdM), Feldman (CM), Knecht

(CdM), Armstrong (CM). HR - Eagle (CdM).