Sea Kings upended

CORONA DEL MAR — Watching West Covina South Hills High take infield at Corona del Mar High, players looked like they were at home. Relaxed and having fun.

The Huskies watching took a knee near the first-base line, supporting their teammates vocally and with claps.

South Hills has visited the field the past two spring breaks, always making sure to kick the Sea Kings aside in the Beach Pit Classic before the sand on a nearby beach.

There was more to look forward to than third place in a tournament or the ocean Tuesday.

When Coach Kevin Smith ended the pre-game drills, he tossed a ball in the air and fouled it back. The catcher gloved the ball near the fence.

“That’s how we try to end it,” Smith said with a smile.

The CIF Southern Section Division III semifinal playoff game finished the way Smith wanted.

In foul territory, the catcher got underneath the final out as the Huskies beat CdM, 9-3. South Hills is returning to the championship game for the second straight year, this time to win it.

CdM’s impressive run, its first semifinal appearance since 2004, is over. The path to the playoffs began in mid-April after stopping a four-game losing streak.

The two teams left in the postseason are South Hills and top-seeded Beckman, which beat Lancaster, 15-3, and advanced to Saturday’s title game at Angel Stadium.

The Sea Kings (18-11) played both teams still alive. They will never forget which team jump started their season and which ended it.

After dropping a close one to Pacific Coast League champ Beckman on April 17, the Sea Kings turned around their season, winning 10 of their next 11 games.

What a ride for the Sea Kings, knocking off two league champs, Whittier California in the first round and Paramount in the second round, and then getting Coach John Emme his 200th career victory after defeating Hacienda Heights Los Altos in the quarterfinals.

Facing a third league champion proved too much for CdM to reach its first title since 2004.

Turn back the clock and the Huskies (23-8) are again responsible for putting away CdM. South Hills beat the host Sea Kings, 17-3, in a third-place game at the Beach Pit Classic on April 8.

The Huskies again hammered away, collecting five extra-base hits to beat the Sea Kings for the third time in two years.

“They’re just the complete [team],” CdM senior Mitch Sands said. “They can pitch. They can hit. They can make plays.

“We couldn’t match it.”

Starter Dakota Behr slowed down the Sea Kings’ attack. The right-hander went the distance, striking out three while allowing six hits, all singles.

The excuse in the Huskies earlier handing CdM its worst defeat this season was the Sea Kings threw two junior varsity pitchers.

In the second meeting this season between these two programs, CdM sent its ace, Steven Manning. The right-hander started the Sea Kings’ first two playoff victories, back-to-back outings on four days rest.

More time in the senior’s third postseason start on the mound. The seven days rest really didn’t help much against a team hungry to return to the championship after losing to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in last year’s final at Dodger Stadium.

Manning learned in the third and fourth innings how tough it is to keep the Huskies in the ballpark. Hugo Atienzo gave South Hills a 3-1 lead on a laser home run to straightaway center in the third.

After Manning in the fourth inning hit his third batter, Tyler France tagged Manning on the next pitch. The freshman went the other way to right for a two-run homer, putting South Hills ahead, 8-1.

The game got away from Manning (5-4), and he lasted four innings. Hurting Manning’s chance to keep it a game was an error in the third inning by the third baseman.

With runners on first and second and one out, Manning induced a grounder, a possible inning-ending double play. The third baseman gloved it near the bag. All he had to do was step on the bag and then fire the ball to first base.

The freshman hesitated and then threw it away to first, allowing both runners to score. A third run eventually came around, giving the Huskies a 6-1 advantage after three innings.

“Tough play,” Manning said. “It’s hard as a pitcher. Once the ball is out of your hands, it’s out of your hands. There’s not much you can do. You just got to let your defense work.

“You can’t expect everything to be perfect.”

Things were appearing that way for Behr through five innings. He found himself in trouble in the sixth.

After facing a bases-loaded situation and giving up his second and third runs, Behr settled down the best way he knows how to relax.

“I just started singing to myself,” said Behr, sounding as if he was at home in the shower.

CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs

Semifinal

South Hills 9, Corona del Mar 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Behr and Doyle; Manning, McCormack (5) and Attyah. W – Behr. L – Manning, 5-4. 2B – Doyle (SH), Ibarra (SH), France (SH). HR – Atienzo (SH), France (SH).