Sea Kings land in sweet spot
Steve Virgen
After 10 1/2 innings of exciting, dramatic and highly competitive
softball, a freshman came to the plate and ended the game.
Holly Van Hiel smacked an RBI double in the bottom of the 11th
inning to lead the Corona del Mar High softball team to a pivotal 1-0
Pacific Coast League victory over visiting Calvary Chapel Monday.
Van Hiel’s blast landed in the left-field corner, just in front of
the fence. The double created a perfect hit-and-run, as Heather
Lohrman, who had been hit by a pitch, took off from first on the
pitch. She slid safely into the plate well ahead of the throw.
After the CdM celebration, Van Hiel talked about the way she felt
when the ball came off her bat. Her description of the game-winning
RBI double also describes the Sea Kings’ positioning for the CIF
Southern Section Division IV playoffs.
“It just hit right in the sweet spot,” Van Hiel said.
The Sea Kings also moved into a sweet spot in the PCL standings.
They are now tied for third place with Calvary Chapel with one league
game remaining.
CdM (14-8, 4-5 in league) faces University Wednesday, when the
Eagles (4-5 in league) take on Laguna Beach. The Sea Kings and
Calvary Chapel are expected to win, which would set up a tie-breaker
game that will decide the league’s final guaranteed CIF playoff
berth. The game would be played Thursday or Friday at an alternate
site.
Last year, the same scenario played out. In that tie-breaker,
Corona del Mar defeated Calvary Chapel, 8-7. Meaghan Bunney scored
the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh and the Sea Kings
advanced to the CIF Division IV playoffs.
This season, the Sea Kings are hoping for the same type of
heroics. They displayed similar determination Monday, when Van Hiel,
Lohrman and several more Corona del Mar players stepped up when the
Sea Kings needed them most.
Michelle Tolfa, the Sea Kings freshman pitcher, was dynamic in her
shutout performance. She struck out six, walked just one and
scattered five hits in the complete-game effort. She also had five
assists as she gloved ground balls and threw to Andrea Dort at first.
It was the seventh shutout in the last 10 games for CdM, including
three by Tolfa.
“They had great heart and desire,” CdM Coach Nichole Thompson said
of her players. “They played well and really wanted it. There were
great plays all around by our defense.”
Lohrman, the center fielder, assisted on a great defensive play in
the seventh. With two outs, Calvary’s Katie McCullough sent the ball
to the gap in right center and Christine Hickey, who reached on a
single, attempted to score from first base. But, Lohrman quickly
scooped the ball and threw to the cut-off, Dort, who then fired to
catcher Sarah Stern.
Hickey slid right into Stern, who was blocking the plate, and the
CdM catcher held on for the out.
“That was great,” Thompson said. “I was happy Andrea got to her
position, right where she was supposed to be. That was great
execution.”
The Eagles had runners on second and third with one out in the
11th. However, third baseman Lauren Gega came up big for the Sea
Kings. First, she caught a foul pop just before crashing into the
fence in front of the CdM bench. Then, she calmly collected a ground
ball and sent it over to Dort for the out to end the inning.
CdM shortstop Jackie Manning got dirty, diving for a ground ball
and rising to throw the runner out at first for the first out in the
eighth.
Allie Duernberger, Gega, Lohrman and Van Hiel had one hit each for
the Sea Kings.
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