Doering energizes CdM to a win over Mesa

COSTA MESA — Under the lights for the first time this year, John Doering made sure Corona del Mar High’s cleanup hitter and ace could shine under the spotlight.

Doering, the team’s No. 9 hitter, accomplished that with pure hustle.

With the bases loaded and two outs against Costa Mesa, the sophomore beat out a force play at second base to keep the top of the fourth inning alive.

The play woke up the Sea Kings, as they went on to score six runs in the inning and win, 7-0, in a nonleague game at TeWinkle Park Friday.

The two teammates most appreciative of Doering’s effort were the stars of the game in starter Vinnie St. John and No. 4 hitter Austin Elliott.

St. John, bound for USC, hit the grounder to shortstop that Doering beat out, and Elliott cleared the bases with a triple in the six-run fourth.

“Doering’s hustle really just opened it up for us,” St. John said.

St. John was able to forget about the score and improve to 2-0 and get Corona del Mar (5-2) its fifth straight victory.

His fastball proved to have too much velocity for Costa Mesa (5-3) to handle. After striking out seven and allowing four hits in five innings, St. John left.

In came Elliott in relief, and he looked forward to closing out the game. His best friend, Garrick Williams, plays for Costa Mesa.

Elliott finally faced Williams in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Williams hit a pitch between third and shortstop for a single, the only hit Elliott gave up in two innings.

“He earned it. I threw him a fastball and challenged him,” Elliott said. “We played them last year. We won, but I didn’t do so great that game. This year I just wanted to come out and take it to them.”

The right-handed hitter pounded the Mustangs, and he has done the same to other teams early on this season.

Against Costa Mesa, Elliott was waiting for runners to get on base to get his first hit. And they were in abundance in the fourth.

With Corona del Mar up, 3-0, and seeing starter Andrew Millian exit because of picking up three of his four walks in the inning, Elliott waited on deck.

The bases were loaded for him after reliever Matt Wedgeworth struggled throwing strikes to the first batter he saw. Wedgeworth walked Michael DiRocco, and up came Elliott.

The senior wasted little time. The first pitch he received was a fastball and Elliott smashed it over the center fielder’s head and CdM jumped out to a 6-0 lead.

“He’s hitting like I have never seen him [before],” said CdM Coach John Emme of Elliott, who went into Friday batting .550 with 12 RBIs. “He hurt his back earlier in the fall, and I think actually in the long run it really helped because his swing is nice and short now. We’ve been trying to work with him on that for four years.

“You hate to say that an injury was a good thing, but I think in this case it actually helped him.”

Elliott’s bat could be the difference in the Sea Kings making a run at the school’s fourth CIF Southern Section championship.

Costa Mesa Coach Jim Kiefer thinks so. Even though his Mustangs missed an opportunity to jump on the Sea Kings with the bases loaded in the first inning, then three innings later watch a routine groundout go for nothing, Kiefer was glad his team played Corona del Mar.

“It’s the type of game for us that is a benchmark game. We’re playing a team that’s a perennial contender for CIF championships,” Kiefer said. “We’re trying to get to that level.”

Doering’s hustle play in the fourth inning is a good example of the little things championship-caliber teams do to win games.

NonleagueCorona del Mar 7,

Costa Mesa 0

Score by Innings

CdM 0 0 0 6 1 0 0 - 7 7 4

CM 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 5 2

St. John, Elliott (6) and DiRocco; Millian, Wedgeworth (4), Boulger (6) and Pisarski. W -- St. John, 2-0. L -- Millian, 1-1. 2B -- Rosen (CdM), DiRocco (CdM). 3B -- Elliott (CdM).