CdM earns blue-collar win

Steve Virgen

Corona del Mar High baseball coach John Emme has seen his Sea Kings

react in different ways to their favorite role this season. There

have been underachieving stretches and times when they played to

their potential as evidenced in their recent ascent to the top of the

Pacific Coast League standings.

Emme enjoyed the Sea Kings’ latest dealings in the favorite role

Tuesday, when CdM defeated visiting Bolsa Grande, 9-1. The Sea Kings (9-5) advance to today’s consolation semifinal against visiting

Mission Viejo at noon.

“We were the favorite on Saturday [against Newport Harbor] and you

saw what happened there,” Emme said of the 5-4 loss. “We need to come

into each game with a workmanlike attitude and I think we did that

today.”

CdM used a nine-hit attack, spearheaded by Todd Macklin’s 2-for-3,

four-RBI performance, that included a solo home run, his second of

the season, in the fourth inning. Macklin, a junior pitcher, helped

his own cause. He improved his pitching record to 2-2, allowing four

hits and one run in four innings.

“Todd did a good job,” Emme said. “ I thought he threw too many

pitches, more than he had to. But I had a short talk with him early

in the game and he was better after that.”

Macklin also took advantage of CdM’s run support. The Sea Kings

built an 8-0 lead in the first three innings. They scored four runs

in the second, when CdM batted around. Junior Jerrit Thayer doubled

into the right-field corner to drive in senior Brandon Kurtz and

junior Parker Ferguson. Thayer was thrown out trying to stretch it

into a triple.

Then, juniors Josh Bradbury, Ryan Kelly and Barrett Sprowl walked

to load the bases. Macklin followed with a two-run single to

right-center field. Ferguson and Bradbury each scored two runs.

“This was a real important game for us,” Emme said. “ Winning this

would most likely set up a matchup against Mission Viejo and that is

a good game for us.”

Macklin struck out four and walked one before giving way to senior

Nick Rhodes, who delivered three shutout innings that included six

strikeouts.

In the fifth inning, Ferguson made a spectacular grab in center

field. Running toward the fence, Ferguson left his feet to make the

catch, ending Jesse Jimenez’s hope of a double.

“Willie Mays would have been proud of that one,” Emme said of

Ferguson’s catch.

Bolsa Grande dropped to 11-1 on the season, as Coach Charles

Chatman took the loss in stride because of his squad’s inexperience.

“We’re playing with a glorified junior varsity team,” said

Chatman, a former football and baseball standout at Costa Mesa. “ We

start six sophomores, two freshman and one junior. We make a lot of

young mistakes.”

Chatman will return to his stomping grounds today when Bolsa

Grande faces the Mustangs at noon at Costa Mesa in a 13th-place

semifinal.

*--*

Pride of the Coast Tournament

Consolation quarterfinal CdM 9, Bolsa

Grande 1

Score by Innings

Bolsa 000 100 0 -- 1 5 6

CdM 242 100 x -- 9 9 0

Tantablini, Jimenez (3), Espinoza (4),

Molina (6) and Smith; Macklin, Rhodes (5)

and Kelly, Presson (5). W -- Macklin, 2-2.

L -- Tantablini. 2B -- Tantablini (BG) 2,

Thayer (CdM). HR -- Macklin (CdM)

*--*