El Toro Holds On for Victory

Fourth-ranked El Toro continued its quest for a Sea View League title and dealt a blow to Santa Margarita’s playoff hopes with a 7-5 victory Friday.

The visiting Chargers (16-5-1, 8-2-1) stayed a game ahead of Irvine by jumping on Eagle starter Justin Parker (5-5) for six runs in the first two innings, then holding on for their ninth victory in 10 games.

They also got a complete game from starter Joe Smith, who gave up 10 hits--four by Santa Margarita outfielder Randell Shelley--and escaped a couple of bases-loaded situations to earn his fifth victory.

Just as important, the victory kept El Toro from entering next week’s two-game showdown against Irvine on a slide. The Eagles beat the Chargers this week, 10-7.

“This was big,” El Toro Coach Tom McCaffrey said. “If Santa Margarita wins again today they’re definitely in the race for first. We did not want to go into next week’s games with Irvine with no momentum.

“Joe pitched a great game, over 100 pitches on a hot day. He gave up hits but they are a good hitting team.”

If Santa Margarita (11-9, 5-6), which made it to the section Division III championship game last season, fails to make the playoffs, Friday’s game will have much to do with it.

Four errors, which led to four unearned runs, were bad enough. But in the fifth, with the score 6-2 and the outcome in doubt, the Eagles took themselves out of a potential big inning.

With runners on second and third and one out, Smith walked Eric Brown to load the bases. But Lee Mitchell headed to third from second and was trapped in a rundown. As he was tagged out, Chad Celani, on third, broke for the plate. He was thrown out.

Double play. End of inning.

“It was not the loss today, it was the way we lost,” Eagle Coach Tip Lefebvre said. “We didn’t come ready to play. The first half of the game we give them six runs. Then there’s that ‘double play’ that should have never happened. But that’s baseball.”

In other Sea View League games:

Irvine 6, Woodbridge 2--Ryan Brucker had two hits, including a triple, two runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI for Irvine (12-8-1, 7-3-1). Teammate Jared Flint had two hits, scored a run and added an RBI. Ruben Manriquez (4-4) struck out five and walked one in a complete game.

Corona del Mar 10, Newport Harbor 7--Reuben Gulledge, who had four hits, had a three-run homer to break a 7-7 tie in the sixth for host Corona del Mar (12-8, 6-5).

Chad Johnson also had a home run, his seventh, and Chris Wills (2-2) pitched five innings of shutout relief for the victory. Newport Harbor was ahead, 7-0, after two innings.