Prep baseball: Sea Kings reclaim own CIF fate

Bryce Alderton

LAGUNA BEACH - Win and you’re in.

That’s the story line heading into Wednesday’s matchup of Pacific

Coast League counterparts Corona del Mar High and Laguna Beach to decide

third place in league, guaranteeing an automatic berth into the CIF

Southern Section Division IV Playoffs, after the Sea Kings bats’ pounded

out 18 hits in a 21-7 victory Monday at Laguna Beach.

With Monday’s win and Costa Mesa’s 12-1 loss to Estancia Monday, CdM

(11-13, 6-8 in league) is tied with Costa Mesa for fourth place in

league, each one game behind Laguna Beach.

If CdM defeats Laguna Beach Wednesday and Mesa defeats Estancia, then

there would be a three-way tie for third between the Sea Kings, Mustangs

and the Artists. In that scenario, CdM would gain the league’s No. 3

berth since it has the better record against the other two teams.

A CdM sweep of the Artists would make the Sea Kings 4-2, Mesa would be

3-3 and Laguna Beach would be 2-4.

But a Laguna Beach win automatically puts the Artists in third place

and leaves the Sea Kings out of the playoff picture. CdM can’t gain an

at-large playoff berth since it can not finish with at least a .500

record.

CdM Coach John Emme’s wish came true.

“If Estancia knocks off Mesa and we win, then we’re in,” Emme said

after Monday’s game, before knowing Estancia had defeated Costa Mesa. “We

did our job.”

The first five hitters in the Sea Kings’ order collectively banged out

19 RBIs Monday.

Shortstop Keith Long led the way with five RBIs, three coming on a

first-inning home run that cleared the left-field fence. The other two

came on a two-run double he smacked to left field in the fourth inning.

“The last couple of weeks, Keith has really been stinging the ball and

not getting the most out of it,” Emme said. “So this was much deserved.”

Catcher Nick Karpe and third baseman Josh Bradbury each collected four

RBIs. Karpe went 3 for 6 with two runs scored, and Bradbury finished 2

for 4, walking twice and scoring two runs.

Freshman left fielder Wess Presson (three RBIs) went 2 for 5 with

three runs scored, and designated hitter Billy Eagle (three RBIs) went 2

for 5, with two runs scored.

Corona del Mar never trailed in the game, taking a 4-0 lead in the

first.

Laguna Beach came back with three runs in its half of the first,

taking advantage of two Corona del Mar infield errors.

CdM added two runs in the second on Eagle’s two-run homer over the

left-field fence.

The Artists came back in the third with two runs of their own to trim

the lead to 6-5 on a two-run shot over the right-center-field fence by

junior designated hitter Chris Stansbury, the first of his two homers.

But 6-5 was as close as the Artists would get on this day, as CdM then

added three runs in the fourth, four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth

and six in a nearhour-long seventh.

The run support was more than enough for CdM sophomore starter Blake

Contant, who pitched six innings, striking out three and walking two.

“In this park, if you give up runs you can’t think about it,” Emme

said, “It helps us as coaches to have patience. With the way the park is

built, you’re going to give up runs.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 21, Laguna Beach 7

Corona del Mar 420 342 6 - 21 18 2

Laguna Beach 302 020 0 - 7 9 5

Contant, Dunzer (7), Pham (7) and Karpe; Youngstead, Sampson (5),

Baumer (6), Beck (7) Stansbury (7) and Hite. W - Contant, 3-2. L -

Youngstead, 2-4. 2B - Eagle (CdM), Long (CdM), Bradbury (CdM), Merz (LB),

Labeda (LB). HR - Long (CdM), Eagle (CdM), Stansbury (LB) 2.