Sea Kings stuck in a slide

CORONA DEL MAR ? The Corona del Mar High softball team wasn’t hitting on Thursday, but its CIF Southern Section playoff chances sure took a hit.

Beckman High freshman pitcher Trista Thomas tallied 18 strikeouts and allowed just four hits as the Sea Kings fell, 2-0, in Pacific Coast League action.

Beckman’s victory completed the regular-season sweep over Corona del Mar. The Patriots defeated the Sea Kings, 3-0, on March 24.

The loss dropped the Sea Kings (7-8, 2-4 in league) to sixth place in the seven-team Pacific Coast League with six league games remaining.

The league’s top four teams earn automatic bids into the playoffs.

Thomas’ strikeout totals would indicate she was a force in the circle, but Corona del Mar Coach Nichole Thompson said her team could have been more disciplined at the plate and taken advantage of a second-inning rally that proved fruitless.

“I don’t think she was that dominant; we’re just not taking advantage of our opportunities,” Thompson said. “We just weren’t swinging at strikes.”

After the Patriots scored a run in the top of the first inning on two singles and an error, the Sea Kings threatened in the bottom of the second.

Freshman Rene Mycorn led off with a line-drive single to right field. With one out, senior Andrea Dort reached on an error. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Then Thomas recorded a strikeout, a walk to load the bases and a second strikeout to get out of the jam.

“You have to take advantage of those situations because you’re probably not going to get the bases loaded again,” Thompson said. “The last six games or so we haven’t been doing it.”

Thomas struck out the side three times from the third to the seventh and the Sea Kings never seriously threatened after the second.

Only Michelle Tolfa had multiple hits for the Sea Kings, finishing with two. She recorded the team’s only extra-base hit when she doubled down the right-field line with one out in the sixth inning. But she was stranded as Thomas struck out the next two batters.

“Thomas had her stuff working today,” Beckman Coach Pete Harrell said. “She’s really good when she’s on.”

Tolfa also was sharp in the circle, allowing six hits and one earned run while striking out three and walking none. Tolfa retired Beckman hitters seven times on comebackers.

The Patriots (5-7, 3-2) added another run in the fourth inning. Kendra Bennett hit an infield single deep in the hole, took third on Thomas’ double to left-center field and scored on Angie Delgado’s fielder’s choice.

Corona del Mar second baseman Michelle Zucker made a diving stop on Delgado’s grounder and threw her out at first.

Now the Sea Kings are left with trying to turn things around in the last half of the league season. Thompson said it’s a matter of improving at the plate, with the help of better pitch selection.

“We have to execute on offense,” Thompson said. “Michelle [Tolfa] will hold them to one or two runs. We just need to come up big with the bats.”