Beser Gets Back Into Game, Wins It for Corona del Mar

David Beser didn’t start in Corona del Mar’s Southern Section Division IV baseball playoff game against West Hills Chaminade Friday at Corona del Mar, but once he got in the game, he didn’t stop.

Beser, benched because he was late for practice on Thursday, came off the bench to spark a 10-9 victory by the Sea Kings, who will play La Quinta Tuesday in the semifinals at a site to be determined.

Beser, who had three hits and drove in three runs, scored the winning run when he doubled to lead of the seventh and came across on a sharp two-out grounder by Ty Harper that bounced off Chaminade shortstop Nate Dunlap’s glove into left-center field.

Beser also had a home run in the fifth and a two-out, two-run single in the third.

“I felt good,” said Beser, who said bad information caused him to be a half hour late to the practice. “I told myself that if I got a chance to get in, I’m going to prove I deserve to play.”

Sea King Coach John Emme wasted little time getting his starting designated hitter in the lineup. Corona del Mar fell behind 7-2 after 2 1/2 innings and scored a run on a Chaminade error to pull within 7-3.

Alex Bottom singled to load the bases with two out when Emme called on Beser to pinch hit. He delivered a two-run single.

“I’m gonna have to bench him more often,” Emme said. “A lot of guys in that situation will go into a shell and pout, but [Beser] stayed focused.”

Emme did not have any plan about when he would insert Beser, saying only that he would not start.

“The punishment was not starting,” Emme said. “So when we loaded the bases, it was too much to resist.”

Despite Beser’s heroics, the Sea Kings were fortunate to escape with a victory.

Dunlap’s game-ending error was the fourth by Chaminade, which led to six unearned runs and left Emme feeling like his team stole a victory.

“Without a doubt,” Emme said. “But on this road, you gotta win one like this. We’ll take it.”

Every time Corona del Mar pulled close, Chaminade seemed to answer.

The Sea Kings took a 2-1 lead, then Chaminade went up 7-2. Corona del Mar pulled to within 7-5, then Chaminade went up 8-5.

But the long ball got the Sea Kings even.

Back-to-back homers by Alex Bottom and Beser pulled Corona del Mar to within 8-7 and a two-run home run by Matt Larson in the sixth tied it at 9-9.

“This team never quits,” Harper said. “We came back from 10-1 down against Newport Harbor earlier this year. When you come back from 10-1, it’s tough to imagine anything worse.”

In other Division IV games:

La Quinta 12, Covina Gladstone 2 (6, mercy)--Senior Willie Keller went three for five with a career-high six RBIs and Josue Pena went four for four with an RBI and three runs scored to lead top-seeded La Quinta (27-2).

Eric Seale (12-1) and Brian Cisneros, who entered the game in the sixth, combined to pitch a four-hitter for the Aztecs.

El Segundo 11, Costa Mesa 3--Alberto Concepcion hit a three-run home run to lead a 12-hit attack for third-seeded El Segundo (24-6), which advanced to play Covina South Hills in the semifinals.

Nick Lambert had three hits and an RBI and Ruben Mancilla had two hits, including a school single-season record 10th home run for host Costa Mesa (16-10-1).