CdM responds with win

CORONA DEL MAR — On the schedule, the matchup appeared merely as a first-round home game against Villa Park in the Beach Pit Classic. But for the Corona del Mar High baseball team, the game meant so much more.

Here was the Sea Kings’ chance to prove their resiliency. CdM Coach John Emme was interested to see how his players would respond from such a disappointing loss Thursday.

The Sea Kings answered a crushing loss just the way Emme wanted, with a sound performance and a 3-1 victory Saturday at CdM.

There wasn’t much to say after the Sea Kings lost, 6-5, in eight innings to visiting Beckman, the defending Pacific Coast League champion that is ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division III coaches’ poll.

CdM (6-7) had rallied from a 5-0 deficit only to come up short in the end. But Emme reminded his players about the positive results from the loss during a team dinner Friday night.

“It took me about 24 hours to get over the pain, but then I realized how much growth we had as a team,” Emme said. “We really came together and I think it showed today.

“I was interested to see how they were going to come out and respond, and my hunch was right. We’ve really grown a lot as a team. I look forward to the rest of the tournament and what we’re going to bring to the second half of league.”

CdM will play against Canyon Country Monday at 2 p.m. in the quarterfinals at CdM.

Once again, the Sea Kings had to rally from a deficit, this time it was one run against the Spartans (8-5).

Senior catcher Beau Attyah played a big part in keeping CdM in the game and getting the Sea Kings on the scoreboard, as he was involved in two close plays at the plate.

In the top of the third, he blocked home base and tagged out the runner coming into score after an infield hit toward third.

Then in the bottom of the third, Attyah, who had reached on a single, scored after a throwing error. He slid at home and was called safe, just before Villa Park catcher Nolan Broaddus applied the tag.

CdM junior pitcher Michael Salam got out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fourth. Villa Park had the bases loaded with one out, but Salam induced a fly out and the Spartans did not tag up. Then Salam led another Villa Park batter to ground out.

Salam, who struck out two and allowed six hits in his complete-game win, said he felt loose against the Spartans.

The rest of the Sea Kings didn’t appear too tight, as they took advantage of Villa Park miscues. The Spartans had six errors. The mistakes caught up to Villa Park in the fourth.

Senior Chase Carlile reached on an error, and sophomore Brent Lawson later reached on a third-strike passed ball.

Then with two out and a 2-2 count, junior shortstop Mitch Gardner knocked them both in with a hard hit at the pitcher. The ball went off Shane Fessel’s glove, over second base and into center field.

It sunk the Spartans, yet it sure made Gardner happy.

“It was a huge game for me because I had been struggling,” said Gardner, who made a great play in the bottom of the seventh, sliding on his chest to snag a groundball and rising to throw out the runner to end the game. “You just gotta want the ball in those situations.

“It’s a really nice win for us … Thursday was a tough loss, but we battled and it filled our confidence that we can beat anyone.”

The Spartans showed some momentum in the bottom of the sixth, when the Sea Kings had the bases loaded. Villa Park used a double play to end the end the frame. Then Fessel led off with a double in the seventh. But the Sea Kings didn’t let him score.

In addition to Gardner’s great play in the seventh, junior Clark Cashion made a remarkable catch in left field for the first out.

Beach Pit Classic First round

Corona del Mar 3, Villa Park 1

SCORE BY INNINGS

Fessel and Broaddus; Salam and Attyah. W - Salam. L - Fessel. 2B - Broaddus (VP), Fessel (VP); Borchard (CdM).