Corona del Mar overwhelmed by T-Wolves

Steve Virgen

Even though the Corona del Mar High softball team was shut out and

used as a steppingstone for Pacific Coast League champion Northwood,

the Sea Kings took solace that they received a second chance

Wednesday. CdM lost to the Timberwolves, 6-0, but the Sea Kings

remained in a tie for third place in the PCL because Calvary Chapel

lost to Tesoro, 5-1.

CdM will face Calvary to decide third place today at 3:15 at a

neutral site to be determined this morning. The winner will gain the

league’s final guaranteed berth into the CIF Southern Section

Division IV playoffs.

The Sea Kings (9-10, 5-5 in league) defeated Calvary Chapel, 6-0,

April 24, and the Eagles (7-14, 5-5) answered back with a 12-5

victory at CdM Monday.

“I’m excited,” CdM co-coach Ed Mejia said after hearing Calvary

Chapel had lost. “We’re going to get them. They owe us because they

beat us on our field. But we have a second chance and we get to prove

ourselves. It’s a big sigh of relief for me. We have a chance to

create our own destiny. I know the girls will be excited.”

The Sea Kings could have earned third place with a victory over

Northwood, but the Timberwolves (20-4, 10-0) also had a lot riding on

the game. Northwood was seeking to close out its fourth straight

undefeated season in league. The T-Wolves did so led by senior

pitcher Allison Lewis, who threw a one-hitter that came with 12

strikeouts and no walks.

CdM senior Alissa Zoelle, who plays on the same club team as

Lewis, broke up the Northwood pitcher’s no-hitter, leading off the

top of the seventh and final inning with a double.

Lewis, as well as Northwood seniors Teresa Leyden, Amanda Garza,

Melissa Ota and Kimiko Ferrante played in their final regular-season

home game. The quintet has been with the varsity team since its

inaugural season and helped lead the Timberwolves to four straight

PCL titles. Leyden, Garza and Ota also play on the same club team,

the Irvine Sting, as Zoelle. Blair Ota, the Sting’s head coach, and

assistant Jim Knapp were at the game.

Zoelle, who usually plays first base with the Irvine Sting,

pitched for CdM Wednesday. The CdM senior bound for Fresno State

scattered six hits and struggled in the third inning when the

Timberwolves scored four runs, after Amanda Smith’s grand slam.

Before Smith’s grand slam, Mejia came out of the dugout to contest

an umpire’s call at third base, after CdM junior Kianna Jaye fielded

a ground ball. She ran to tag third base for the force, but the base

umpire said the Northwood runner was safe. That loaded the bases and

prompted Mejia to come out.

“I didn’t understand,” Mejia said. “They told me if I argued again

I would be out. I don’t get it. But right from the start, the umpires

put us down. They took away the corners from my pitcher and

[Northwood] was getting all the calls.”

CdM nearly defeated Northwood April 29, when the Timberwolves won,

2-0, in 10 innings. Lewis, who will play at Chapman next year,

allowed nine hits in that game, and had the bases loaded in the top

of the ninth. But she allowed only four runners on base Wednesday.

Senior Amy Tyson reached on an error in the first inning. She

stole second and advanced to third after a throwing error. In the

sixth inning, sophomore Heather Lohrman reached on a error after her

well-placed bunt caused problems for Lewis. Senior Melanie Cole also

put the ball in play and induced an error to get on base. But they

were both left stranded.

*--*

Pacific Coast League

Northwood 6, CdM 0

Score by Innings

CdM 000 000 0 -- 0 1 3

N’wood 104 100 x -- 6 6 4

Zoelle and Tyson, Stern (4); Lewis and M.

Ota. W -- Lewis, 19-3. L -- Zoelle, 8-8. 2B

-- Zoelle (CdM). 3B -- E. Ota (N). HR --

Smith (N)

*--*