Sea Kings survive against Sailors

Bryce Alderton

The toll four games in five days took on both the Corona del Mar High

and Newport Harbor baseball teams could be seen in the errant throws,

bobbled ground balls and occasional lapses on the base paths

scattered throughout the third-place game of the Pride of the Coast

tournament Wednesday.

The Back Bay battle was as much a duel of attrition as heading

into the remaining days of spring break on a strong note.

“Both teams are ready for spring break. No one wants to sign their

name to that one,” CdM Coach John Emme said minutes after the Sea

Kings held off the host Sailors, 7-6, for the second victory in as

many chances over their rivals.

The Sailors (6-9) were 90 feet from tying the game in the bottom

of the seventh inning. Taylor Young led off the inning with a single

and moved to third on sacrifices by Jeff Sanchez and Greg Miner.

But Sea King junior closer Matt Hauser induced a groundout to

second for his second save in relief of sophomore Vinnie St. John,

who went four innings -- after starter Eric Eadington pitched the

first two -- to improve to 2-0 in a game both teams combined for

eight errors.

The Sea Kings (11-4) rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take a 6-4 lead

into the bottom of the fifth before Newport, which used five pitchers

in all, evened it with two runs in its half of the inning.

CdM, which left 14 on base, came right back in the sixth with

senior third baseman Tyler Lance scoring the eventual game-winning

run on a walk -- one of the Sea Kings’ nine -- to Nick Peterson with

two outs. Lance, who walked twice, singled and scored two runs, was

hit in the left forearm and reached first to lead off the inning.

CdM had the leadoff hitter on in five of seven innings, including

the fourth, when it scored three times to up its advantage to 5-3.

Peterson, who went 2 for 2 with two walks, a run and RBI, singled

up the middle and scored the tying run two batters later on Jake

Lemmerman’s RBI single up the middle that glanced off the Newport

shortstop’s glove.

With first and second and no outs, senior Wess Presson hit a slow

roller to third, but a high throw allowed Andy Frenkiel to score the

go-ahead run. Presson, who entered the game leading the team in RBIs

(13), came up lame while rounding first and hobbled into second

before kneeling on the dirt in pain.

Coaches helped him off the field and he didn’t return. Emme said

Presson pulled a groin muscle, but that “he would be OK.”

Tyler Ray added a sacrifice fly in the inning that concluded with

a Newport double play when center fielder Skyler Cozad caught a fly

ball, then rifled to third baseman P.J. Errington, who tagged out the

sliding runner.

“The kids’ minds are on spring break. It’s hard to stay focused,”

said Newport Coach Joel Desguin.

CdM sophomore Chris Rosen added the third extra-base hit of the

contest -- his first varsity home run -- to right field to lead off

the second.

Pride of the Coast tournament

Third place

Corona del Mar 7,

Newport Harbor 6

Score by Innings

*--*

CdM 0 1 1 3 1 1 0 - 7 10 5

Newport 0 3 0 1 2 0 0 - 6 8 3

*--*

Eadington, St. John (3), Hauser (7) and Williamson; Harris, Moore

(2), Parker (4), Thompson (5), Sanchez (6) and Sanchez and Miner (6).

W -- St. John, 2-0. L -- Sanchez, 0-1. Sv -- Hauser (2). 2B -- Cozad

(NH), Bodenhoefer (NH). HR -- Rosen (CdM).