Sea Kings knock Cabrillo out, 13-8

Steve Virgen

The CIF Southern Section Division IV first-round baseball matchup

between Corona del Mar High and visiting Cabrillo of Lompoc turned

out to be more like a heavyweight fight.

Cabrillo, nicknamed the Conquistadores, collected 10 hits,

including three home runs, while the Sea Kings belted nine hits and

two jacks. In the end, Corona del Mar’s Bradbury-Presson combination

proved to be the knockout that eliminated the Conquistadores from the

playoffs Friday in front of about 250 fans.

In the sixth inning, with the Sea Kings hanging on to an 8-7 lead,

Josh Bradbury and Wess Presson delivered timely homers, a three-run

shot and a two-run blast, respectively, to help lead Corona del Mar

to a 13-8 victory over Cabrillo.

The Sea Kings (21-5), who have won 13 straight, will face Apple

Valley, a 5-1 winner over Palos Verdes, Tuesday at a site to be

determined by a coin flip.

Corona del Mar senior Todd Macklin, who injured his elbow, will be

available as a pinch-hitter, but will not pitch. The USC-bound

Macklin, whose right elbow is inflamed, visited the Trojans’ baseball

team doctors and was told he could hit. He reached on an error in the

sixth, and scored along with Parker Ferguson when Bradbury pounded

his home run deep toward center field.

“[Cabrillo] gave us a heck of a battle and we responded,” CdM

Coach John Emme said. “That’s what you have to do.”

Bradbury and Presson also contributed clutch hits in the third

inning when the Sea Kings overcame a 3-1 deficit.

Bradbury had an RBI single in the third and Presson singled to

left for two RBIs, giving CdM a 4-3 lead. The duo’s hits both came on

an 0-2 pitch. The Sea Kings batted around in the third, scoring seven

runs on three hits.

“We’re pretty explosive,” said Presson, who was 2 for 3 with four

RBIs and two runs scored. “We get one hit and it just leads to more.

If we start out good, it’s pretty much going to be good the whole

game.”

The Sea Kings, the Pacific Coast League champions, scored one run

in the first. Andy Frenkiel led off with a single to right. Bradbury,

who has 10 home runs this season, followed with a base hit to right,

and Frenkiel used his speed to make it to third. Barrett Sprowl

brought Frenkiel in with a sacrifice fly.

However the Conquistadores (17-11), answered with two runs in the

second and a home run by Isaac Simmons in the third. Simmons, the

leadoff hitter, sent the first pitch over the fence in the left-field

corner. As he rounded the bases, his team cheered loudly and mobbed

him at the plate. The umpire sternly told the players to take their

celebration to their bench.

“That got me going a little bit,” said Bradbury, who was 3 for 4

with four RBIs and two runs scored. “They were acting like the game

was over and it was the third inning. I knew our team could hit, so I

wasn’t too worried.”

Simmons also had a home run in the fifth, another blast off the

first pitch toward left-center field. In the sixth, Simmons was up

with two outs, his team trailing, 8-7, and a runner on second. The

runner attempted to steal third, Simmons ducked to try to get out of

the way, but the umpire called interference on the batter to end the

inning.

The Sea Kings then scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to

put the game away. CdM junior Blake Contant, who threw 104 pitches

and went six innings, improved to 9-2. Emme said he has not made a

decision on who will start Tuesday.

*--*

CIF Southern Section Division IV

First round

Corona del Mar 13, Cabrillo 8

Score by Innings

Cabrillo 021 013 1 -- 8 10 2 CdM 107 005 x -- 13 9 2

White, Fields (3), Hansen (3) and McLeod;

Contant, Maggard (7) and Marin-Finn,

Kelly (7). W -- Contant, 9-2. L -- White,

4-3. 2B -- Ramsey (C). HR -- Simmons (C)

2, McLeod (C), Bradbury (CdM), Presson

(CdM).

*--*