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.