Manning comes up big

CORONA DEL MAR — Four days rest. One ace needed more time off after a seven-inning effort.

The other felt it was time to take the mound again because there’s time for rest when the season ends.

Corona del Mar High baseball coach John Emme hoped for both scenarios before playing Paramount Tuesday.

Steven Manning decided the day before he was going to gut it out for the Sea Kings.

The senior threw five strong innings and delivered the biggest hit to lift the host Sea Kings past Paramount, 7-3, in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs.

Without Manning starting and earning the victory, the Sea Kings’ road to their first quarterfinal appearance since 2005 looked daunting.

“We probably would’ve thrown the committee. Everyone [throws] one or two innings,” Emme said. “But Steven had four days rest and he said he was ready to go.

“[I] pretty much had to give [the ball] to him.”

Manning (5-3) stopped Paramount (19-10).

CdM, the Pacific Coast League runner-up, continues its impressive playoff run. Next is a game at Hacienda Heights Los Altos (14-11), a wild-card team.

The Sea Kings have knocked out two league champs, Whittier California of the Del Rio League and now Paramount of the San Gabriel League.

The opening round Friday lasted 13 innings. Manning started it and pitched seven innings in the Sea Kings’ 5-2 victory against California.

The following start for the right-hander turned out to be a more normal affair at home, where CdM’s offense had jumped on teams in the previous four victories.

Make it five straight at home because of Manning.

After a shaky first inning on the mound, giving up two runs on three hits, it was Manning’s chance to swing the bat.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Manning took two deep breaths. One for every time pitcher Jessie Miranda shook off the catcher.

Faced with a two and two count, Miranda found what he was looking for, the fastball sign. Manning liked it as well.

Manning tagged the pitch toward right-center field, clearing the bases with a double to give CdM a 5-2 lead.

“I figured I needed to help myself out, get right back in the game,” Manning said. “We tied it up [2-2 in the first], which was huge. Getting ahead was even bigger.”

The momentum stayed with CdM.

The Sea Kings relied on their 6-foot, 230-pounder. Manning obliged.

From the second inning to when he left after the fifth, Manning retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. During the stretch, he struck out three and allowed only one hit.

The Sea Kings gave Manning more run support in the fourth. Michael Bloom doubled for the second time, the one in the gap to left-center field drove in two runs.

Bloom’s hit was an impressive one considering it came against Paramount’s ace, Eduardo Magallon. The Pirates brought in the senior after CdM’s first two batters, Nick Couchot and John Doering, in the inning singled.

“Earlier in the season, we would get down two runs in the first inning and we just kind of let down. We thought the game was over,” said Bloom, who was two for three with three RBIs. “But we got a lot of confidence now.”

It grows every time Manning pitches.

CIF Southern Section Division III playofs

Second round

Corona del Mar 7, Paramount 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Miranda, O. Magallon (1), E. Magallon (4) and Valle; Manning, McCormack (6) and Attyah. W – Manning, 5-3. L – Miranda. 2B – Bloom (CdM), Moskovits (CdM), Manning (CdM).