CdM downs Calvary to close in on crown

Barry Faulkner

The fact that Corona del Mar High’s 7-3 victory over Pacific Coast

League host Calvary Chapel Friday at Vanguard University was less

than pristine, may have made it all the more appealing to Sea Kings

Coach John Emme.

Emme used CdM’s last trip to Vanguard, a 12-3 loss to Calvary

Chapel March 28, as a reference point to indicate how his team, now

one win away from clinching the league’s No. 1 spot in the CIF

Southern Section playoffs, has progressed.

“The last time here, we gave them three runs early and that turned

into eight runs,” Emme recalled. “This time, we nipped it in the bud.

This was a great win, because we never panicked.”

There was, perhaps, room for at least some self-loathing in the

Calvary Chapel third, when the Eagles (7-12, 6-5 in league) parlayed

three hits, two official errors and two additional CdM misplays that

didn’t make the error column, into a 3-0 lead.

But junior CdM starter Todd Macklin never flinched and some

control troubles by Calvary pitchers helped the Sea Kings (13-6, 9-2)

rally for their eighth straight league win.

The victory gives CdM a three-game lead over Calvary, Northwood

and University (all tied for second) with three league games left.

CdM has already won the league series over Calvary and University,

and also knocked off Northwood in the first round this spring. So, a

victory over the Timberwolves Tuesday would give the Sea Kings the

tiebreaker advantage over all three, even if it lost its final three

league games, two of which would be against last-place Tesoro.

Emme, however, is not concerned about such scenarios, only that

his team remain playing the way it has since the aforementioned loss

to Calvary, a setback he termed “embarrassing.”

“We just need to take care of business next week,” Emme said.

Macklin handled his business with aplomb en route to his second

straight complete-game victory. He surrendered just six hits and no

earned runs to improve to 4-2. He fanned four, walked three and

stranded eight Eagle runners.

Calvary starter Patrick Spurgin, however, supplied some mound

mastery of his own the first four innings, blanking the visitors on

just three hits, fanning six and walking none.

Spurgin, obviously tiring, walked the first two in the fifth and

Keith Long followed with a two-run double. Long later scored on a

double-play grounder and five more walks helped CdM post a four-run

sixth.

Parker Ferguson singled in a run in the sixth, while Long and Nick

Karpe received bases-loaded walks to drive in additional runs.

Barrett Sprowl plated the fourth run with a fielder’s-choice

grounder.

Long, a senior shortstop, went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, one run and

one stolen base, while junior catcher Danny Marin-Finn was also 2 for

3 with two steals and one run for the winners.

Ferguson, a center fielder hitting ninth, provided a spark. In

addition to the aforementioned RBI single, he walked, reached on a

wild-pitch third strike and was ruled out on an infield ground ball

he appeared to easily beat out. He scored twice.

CdM helped its cause with five stolen bases.

*--*

Pacific Coast League

CdM 7, Calvary Chapel 3

Score by Innings

CdM 000 034 0 - 7 6 2

Calvary 003 000 0 - 3 6 1

Macklin and Marin-Finn; Spurgin, Abrina (5),

Moore (6), Skaar (6) and Holt. W - Macklin,

4-2. L - Abrina. 2B - Long (CdM)

*--*