Sea Kings rally to win

Barry Faulkner

It was fitting that the biggest bat behind Corona del Mar High’s

first come-from-behind baseball victory this season is, perhaps, the

Sea Kings’ comeback player of the spring.

Senior Nik Palchikoff, who began the season 0 for 15 with 11

strikeouts but has been swinging much better lately, went 2 for 3

with three RBIs to pace a 7-6 victory over visiting Aliso Niguel

Tuesday in a fifth-place semifinal of the Pride of the Coast

tournament.

Palchikoff’s home run, his second of the season, opened the

scoring for CdM (9-5), which had surrendered five runs in the third

inning. His two-run single, against UC Riverside-bound senior Ryan

McKibben with one out in the fifth, broke a 5-5 tie and proved to be

the difference.

CdM Coach John Emme said it was the first time all season the Sea

Kings have come from behind to win and praised his team’s character.

The same plaudits could be directed toward Palchikoff, who worked

hard to overcome his early struggles.

“I was thinking about trying to impress the scouts and pressing to

have a great senior year,” Palchikoff said. “I was thinking about way

too much. When I started to get back to what I had been doing [at the

plate], the whole game slowed down.”

Things picked up for CdM after the Wolverines used three hit

batsman and a walk to build a five-run cushion.

Todd Macklin followed Palchikoff’s home run to left field with a

solo shot to center to help trigger a Sea King offense that had

scored just one run in 10 previous innings.

“The home runs got us going,” Emme said.

The Sea Kings got going with one out in the fifth as Ryan Kelly,

Andy Frenkiel and Josh Bradbury all walked to load the bases.

Senior first baseman Barrett Sprowl singled to right to drive in

one, and another scored when a fielder’s choice resulted in an

infield error.

With Palchikoff at the plate, the tying run scored on a wild

pitch, before his looping liner to center gave CdM, and starting

pitcher Macklin, the lead.

Junior Ben Maggard took over on the mound, pitching two innings of

one-hit relief that included one unearned run.

“Maggard was flawless,” Emme said.

Junior center fielder Tyler Ray (2 for 3) and Sprowl (2 for 4)

joined Palchikoff as Sea Kings with multiple hits.

*--*

Pride of the Coast tournament Fifth-place

semifinal

Corona del Mar 7, Aliso Niguel 6

Score by Innings

Aliso 005 000 1 -- 6 4 1

CdM 000 250 X -- 7 7 1

Wilson, Stipes (5), McKibben (5) and Ross;

Macklin, Maggard (6) and Kelly. W --

Macklin, 5-1. L -- Stipes. Sv -- Maggard.

2B -- Aielli (AN). HR -- Palchikoff (CdM),

Macklin (CdM).

*--*