Prep baseball: T-wolves’ Lewis bombs CdM

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - Though his team was the consensus favorite entering the

Pacific Coast League season, Northwood High baseball coach Rob Stuart

said none of the circuit’s six teams did enough during the preleague

campaign to warrant such respect.

After the Timberwolves defeated visiting Corona del Mar, 5-2, in the

league opener Friday, however, it’s clear Stuart’s squad has something no

other league unit can boast.

Make that someone.

Chris Lewis, a three-time All-Sea View League performer at Irvine High

before transferring to Northwood for his senior season, showed why he

could be the X factor Friday. The Stanford-bound shortstop homered three

times in three at-bats to provide all the hosts need to take the first

step toward the top spot in the league standings. He also dazzled with

the glove, posting five assists, including one that triggered the second

of two T-wolve double plays.

“I think Chris Lewis looked a lot better in green,” CdM Coach John

Emme quipped after watching Lewis yank two bombs well beyond the

left-field fence, then popped another dinger over the fence in right

center.

Irvine wears green uniforms, while the T-wolves wear blue. The latter

characterized Emme’s mood after the game, when he pointed out the

youthful Sea Kings revealed their lack of experience.

“I can deal with guys who take a good approach at the plate, but just

don’t get it done,” Emme said. “But we had guys in clutch situations

swinging at first-pitch curveballs and hacking at 3-1 pitches out of the

strike zone. You can’t win when you try to hit that way.”

The Sea Kings, who outhit the hosts, 7-6, could easily have won, had

they not left the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings.

They had three on and one out, but failed to score in the second, then

posted just one run in the sixth, after its first three hitters reached,

three on singles.

“Just one more (CdM) hit and we might have been on the other side of

this (outcome),” Stuart said. “CdM is a very good baseball team. I still

think they’re the favorite.”

Lewis’ performance -- which not only broke the second-year varsity

program’s single-game home run record, but also the single-season and

career marks -- may give future generations of Timberwolves something to

shoot for.

“I was real happy to see Chris hit the ball well today, because he’s

been in a mini-slump against the strong competition we’ve been facing,”

Stuart said. “His three jacks today were his first of the year.”

Sophomore Jameson Kuykendal allowed just one run in six innings to

improve to 2-0, while CdM ace Nick Rhodes, 5-2 as a sophomore en route to

All-PCL and All-Newport-Mesa District honors fell to 0-3.

Emme said Lewis’ three taters (two solo shots with a two-run job in

between) were all the result of bad pitch location.

“(Lewis) took advantage of three pitches that were up,” Emme said.

Josh Bradbury took advantage of some Northwood pitches, going 2 for 3

with a double and an RBI single.

CdM junior Ryan Rhodes singled to lead off the seventh and later

scored on a balk, but reliever Andrew Morrison sustained no further

damage to close the door.

“I don’t think anybody is the favorite,” Stuart said of the PCL race,

which continues Tuesday when CdM visits Estancia and Northwood (4-3)

hosts Costa Mesa.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Northwood 5, Corona del Mar 2

Corona del Mar 000 001 1 - 2 7 2

Northwood 112 010 x - 5 6 0 Rhodes, Stockstill (6) and Karpe; Kuykendal, Morrison (7) and

Gragnano. W - Kuykendal, 2-0. L - Rhodes, 0-3. 2B - Bradbury (CdM), Lucas

(N), HR - Lewis (N) 3.