Sea Kings reach the playoffs

For the second straight season, the Corona del Mar High softball team

defeated Calvary Chapel in a playoff game to decide third place in

the Pacific Coast League and an automatic entry into the CIF Southern

Section Division IV playoffs.

And, for the second consecutive year, CdM prevailed by one run.

The Sea Kings defeated the Eagles, 7-6, in 11 innings Thursday at

Costa Mesa High, the second time in four days these teams needed 11

innings to decide the outcome.

CdM (16-8, 6-5 in league) defeated Calvary, 1-0, Monday.

Freshman Michelle Tolfa, who pitched the first 5 2/3 innings, came

on to get the final two outs in the bottom of the eleventh after

Calvary had scored once and loaded the bases.

Tolfa induced a groundout and struck out the No. 9 hitter on three

curve balls to notch her second save and give freshman Holly Van Hiel

her ninth victory.

The Sea Kings, who defeated Calvary, 8-7, in a third-place playoff

last year, scored two runs in the top of the eleventh.

Lauren Gega singled in Jackie Manning, who hit a leadoff triple.

Two batters later, Van Hiel’s double to right-center field knocked in

Gega.

CdM scored five runs in the third to take a 5-2 lead.

Senior Sarah Stern’s bunt along the third-base line scored Van

Hiel on a suicide squeeze, giving the Sea Kings a 2-1 lead.

Calvary (5-6 in league) scored three runs in the sixth to tie the

game, 5-5.

Stern went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a run scored and RBI while

Ann Klunder went 2 for 5 with two RBIs. Tolfa also went 2 for 5 and

Allie Duernberger added an RBI double. Heather Lohrman singled and

scored a run.

Tolfa struck out three, allowed eight hits and walked two in 6 1/3

innings while Van Hiel went 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits with

three strikeouts and two walks in a game that lasted nearly 2 1/2

hours.

CIF playoff pairings will be announced Monday.

*--*

Pacific Coast League Third-place

playoff

Corona del Mar 7, Calvary Chapel 6

(11 innings)

Score by Innings

CdM 005 000 000 02 -- 7 12 3

Cal 101 003 000 01 -- 6 10 1

Tolfa, Van Hiel (6), Tolfa (11) and

Stern; Paino and Rutz. W -- Van

Hiel, 9-3. L -- Paino. Sv - Tolfa 2.

2B -- Van Hiel (CdM), Duernberger

(CdM), Stern (CdM) 2, Klunder (CdM),

Paino (CC), Hickey (CC), Rutz (CC).

3B -Manning (CdM).

*--*