Edison charges ahead in league

The Sunset League title isn’t won overnight, and Edison High baseball coach Steve Lambright knows it.

But the Chargers also know that they wouldn’t trade their current position: first place.

They earned the spot in recent play after coming from behind to top Marina, 4-3, on Friday at home, then beating Newport Harbor, 9-1, on Tuesday.

Edison now sits at 8-1 and 4-0 in the ultra-competitive league. The Chargers are ranked No. 3 in CIF Southern Section Division I, while the Vikings sit at No. 9.

“The game was a classic Sunset League battle,” Lambright said after beating Marina. “I told them there’s no better feeling than leaving a team standing on the field ... I couldn’t be prouder of our team, because they beat a quality club.”

Chris Czerniachowski was the hero for Edison, belting a walk-off, bases-loaded double to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh. But initially, it looked like the game would belong to Marina (9-2, 3-1). Senior Paul Strong struck out the first nine batters to start the game, and the Vikings took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Tyler Rinker’s RBI single scored Chad Lewis.

Edison responded in the bottom of the frame. Josh Lesinski walked with one out and Donald Sneed’s towering home run to left gave Edison the 2-1 edge.

“I think what got us relaxed was when Sneed hit the home run,” Lambright said.

But Marina, undeterred, scored twice in the top of the sixth. Robert Chavarria had a leadoff single and two outs later, Lewis also homered to left to give the Vikings the lead.

Edison had just three hits in the game before its seventh-inning heroics, but got the job done anyway. Arizona-bound senior Kurt Heyer got the win.

Before his two-RBI double, Czerniachowski had been hitless in three at-bats. In the fifth inning, Strong intentionally walked Snyder to face Czerniachowski, who grounded into a fielder’s choice.

“A little bit,” Czerniachowski said when asked if that made him upset. “I went up there and wanted to show them what’s up.”

In Tuesday’s game against Newport Harbor, the Chargers pounded out 13 hits, including a two-run homer by Lesinski. Sophomore Henry Owens earned the win, shutting out the Tars until the seventh.

Marina, meanwhile, came back for a 15-5 stomping of Los Alamitos on Tuesday. Senior Jordan Maddox got the win, improving to 3-0.

Both teams face another test today. Marina plays host to Esperanza (1-3 in league), while Edison is at Los Alamitos (2-2).

“We played this way with them last year,” Marina Coach Paul Renfrow said after the tough loss to Edison. “You’ve just got to put this game aside and get ready to play the next game, let the first round take care of itself.”

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In other local baseball action

?Huntington Beach is 2-2 in the Sea View League after falling to El Toro, 7-1, Tuesday. Previously, the Oilers lost to Northwood, 11-9, Friday.

Huntington Beach couldn’t hold a 6-2 lead after two innings.

“Other than the late innings of the Northwood game, I like the way we have been playing,” Oilers Coach Benji Medure said.

“We have only played one game all season with all of our starters together, so when we get healthy, I expect good things.”

?Defending Golden West League champion Ocean View topped Saddleback, 9-4, Tuesday to even its league mark at 2-2. Senior Andrew Bynum improved to 4-0 for the Seahawks, who play at Westminster today in another league game.

?Fountain Valley upset Los Alamitos on Friday, but the Barons fell to Esperanza, 8-0, in a Sunset League game Tuesday.

Adam Scott had a seventh-inning double for the Barons (4-6, 1-3), who play host to Newport Harbor today at 3:15 p.m.

?Brethren Christian lost to Oxford Academy, 5-0, on Tuesday to fall to 0-4 in the Academy League.

The Warriors had just three hits, one of them a double by senior Brad Hess.

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.