KNECHTION!

Tony Altobelli

CORONA DEL MAR - It’s not often a CdM player, coach or fan is

excited when a Sea King gets hit hard. But one such case occured in

Saturday’s baseball game with visiting Newport Harbor.

The hard-hit Sea King in question was the emblem on the scoreboard in

right field, courtesy of a two-run home run off the bat of Dave Knecht,

which propelled CdM to a 5-2 win in the first round of the Pride of the

Coast Tournament.

With the score tied, 2-2, in the fifth inning, Knecht smacked the first

pitch he saw right off the scoreboard logo, giving CdM the lead for good.

Knecht also pitched the final two innings, earning his first save of the

season.

“Getting the big hit and closing the game out on the mound; a nice way to

end the game,” Sea Kings Coach John Emme said.

Knecht finished the game for starter Cavan Cuyler, who pitched five

strong innings to improve to 4-1. He allowed only two hits through the

first four innings before having a little trouble in the fifth.

“He came out a little tired,” Emme said. “He usually throws pretty hard,

but I think that worked to his advantage. He really had to focus on

hitting his spots, which he did.”

CdM took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Andrew Johns drove a shot

up the middle that just eluded diving shortstop Justin Jacobs. The single

scored Eric Snell, who opened the inning with a walk.

Wes Hockinson led off the third inning with a walk and later scored on a

sacrifice fly by Knecht, making it, 2-0.

Billy Eagle followed Knecht with a single to center, but Newport’s Miguel

Sandoval hustled to the ball, threw a strike to Jacobs, who then fired a

strike to the catcher Garrett Brant, nailing a CdM runner at the plate.

It remained 2-0 until Justin McCarthy hit a one-out single and advanced

to second on a CdM error.

Following a Jacobs flyout and an Alan Lane walk, Nick Langsdorf hit a

grounder to third. McCarthy, hustling on the play, avoided a tag by the

CdM third baseman and kept the inning alive.

Sandoval and Donovan Wong responded each with RBI singles, scoring

McCarthy and Lane, tying the game before Knecht’s blast in the bottom of

the inning.

“It was a well-played game by both teams,” Newport Coach Jim Kiefer said.

“It all came down to the big hits, which they had more of then we did.”

CdM notched an insurance run in the sixth inning when Hockinson ripped a

double down the left-field line, scoring John DiCesare, who reached on a

walk.

Newport (2-8) tried to rally in the seventh, but Knecht was able to come

up with the big pitch when he needed to.

“That extra run was huge for us,” Emme said. “With Langsdorf hitting for

them in the seventh, he would have been the tying run. But since he

wasn’t we were able to pitch to him a little bit differently.”

Hockinson, Eagle and Rory McKeever each had two hits for the Sea Kings

(9-7).

“Billy has been hitting well for us all year long, but it was nice to see

other people contributing to the offense,” Emme said.

Corona del Mar returns to second-round play today at 11 a.m., hosting Orange.

Newport Harbor meets Bolsa Grande in a 2 p.m. game at Costa Mesa High.

PRIDE OF THE COAST TOURNAMENT

First round

Corona del Mar 5, Newport Harbor 2

Newport Harbor 000 020 0 - 2 6 0

Corona del Mar 011 021 x - 5 8 1 Rorden, Ward (5) and Brant. Cuyler, Knecht (6) and McKeever. W - Cuyler,

4-1. L - Rorden. Sv - Knecht, 1. 2B - Eagle (CdM), Hockinson (CdM). HR -

Knecht (CdM).