Beckman baseball leaps into first place in the Pacific Coast League over Corona del Mar

The Corona del Mar High baseball team no longer controls its own destiny in its quest to defend its Pacific Coast League title.

On Friday afternoon at CdM, the Sea Kings lost to a pitcher who appeared to have total control.

Three days after CdM junior Tommy Wilcox’s dominant outing at Beckman, the Patriots got a three-hit shutout of their own. Beckman junior left-hander Trevor Ernt did the honors as the Patriots blanked CdM 3-0 in a first-place showdown.

The Patriots scored all of their runs in the top of the seventh inning and they also used a spectacular catch in the bottom of the sixth inning by junior center fielder Ricky Teel, robbing CdM’s Chazz Martinez of a go-ahead solo home run, to improve to 10-3-1 and 6-1 in league. CdM (8-5, 5-2) is a game back after losing the rubber match of the teams’ season series.

Beckman can thank Ernt for helping them move into first place all alone with eight league games remaining. Ernt improved to 3-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 22 2/3 innings this season, coach Kevin Lavalle said. One of Ernt’s other two wins this season was in relief in the Patriots’ 5-4 win over CdM on March 16, the teams’ first league meeting.

“If you want to number your pitchers, going into today he was our No. 3 pitcher,” Lavalle said. “But whoever’s on the mound is supposed to be your No. 1, and he certainly pitched like it today. I’m most proud of Trevor because he didn’t try to do too much. He just went out there and pitched.”

Ernt, who struck out five and hit one batter, did not allow a CdM player to reach third base. He said his fastball, changeup and curveball were all working. He also said he had to trust his defense, and Teel provided the spectacular play to end the sixth inning and keep the game scoreless.

He put his glove over the fence to snag Martinez’s shot, a few feet to the left of the 350-foot sign in center. Then he drew a leadoff walk in the seventh, before leaving for pinch-runner Braedon Schroeder. Lavalle said that Teel banged his right knee on a pole holding up the fence while making the catch.

“The guy gave up his body and then led off the seventh inning with a walk, and eventually that became the winning run,” Lavalle said. “It was incredibly appropriate.”

Matt McLain followed with a bunt single against CdM reliever Jarrett Thompson (1-1). Sean McLain then hit a double down the left field line, scoring Schroeder. An out later, the Sea Kings walked Collin Villegas to load the bases.

Beckman’s Connor McGuire then laid down a successful squeeze bunt to score another run, before Jake Groves’ sacrifice fly gave the visitors a three-run cushion.

Ernt hit CdM’s Luc Stuka leading off the bottom of the seventh but worked around it, inducing a double-play ball and a groundout to second to end the game and snap the Sea Kings’ six-game winning streak.

Martinez, a senior left-hander bound for UC Santa Barbara, threw five shutout innings for CdM. He allowed just three hits, walking four but striking out seven.

His shot to center was the second time the Sea Kings thought they could have taken the lead. The first was in the bottom of the fifth, after Kieran Sidebotham and Alex Rosen hit consecutive two-out singles.

Nolan Dunn hit the first pitch he saw down the third-base line, but it was ruled just foul by the home-plate umpire. Three pitches later, Ernt struck out Dunn to end the threat.

“It was foul,” said CdM coach John Emme, who had a good vantage point near third base. “I’m going to jump up and down, do everything I can to make the ump think it was fair, but it was a foul ball.”

Rosen had two of the three hits for CdM, which resumes league play Tuesday at home against University.

“We’re a game back with eight left,” Emme said. “It’s a shame to finish with Beckman this early in the campaign, but spring break made that have to happen. We just have to take care of our business and see what happens.”

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo