He Makes Sure Cypress Keeps Foot in the Door

As Cypress pitcher Ron Corona accepted congratulations from teammates Sunday after beating rival Santa Ana, 10-3, in the second round of the state tournament, assistant coach Ron La Ruffa told him that he had the most famous toe in America.

La Ruffa’s statement was an exaggeration but the pinky toe on Corona’s left foot has been a popular and sore subject since he broke it Tuesday while working out in the college’s pool.

At first Corona, a sophomore right-hander, wasn’t expected to pitch at all but an aggressive treatment plan had him ready to at least try.

He took the mound with a new shoe on his left foot. The shoe had the area around his toe cut out to make room for a pad.

Corona had to be careful of how he landed on his foot for fear of turning his ankle. But Corona pushed through it all to finish with an eight-hitter. He also struck out 10 to set the Cypress single-season record at 137.

“First,” Corona said, “I had God on my side. It was painful but this is the last game so I had to suck it up. . . . At this point in the season I didn’t care how much it hurt, I wasn’t going to come out. If I was going to pitch, I might as well go all the way.”

Cypress, which has won 13 in a row, needs one more victory to win its fourth state title of the decade. The Chargers, who won in 1991, 1994 and 1997, take on Sacramento at 11 a.m. today. A second game follows if Cypress loses the first.

Corona (11-4) gave up home runs to Josh Shaffer (his 11th) in the third and to Richard Lane (his 18th) in the seventh. Santa Ana also got a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Art Garland.

But the Dons were done in by poor defense as Cypress scored four runs in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead.

Michael Duursma started with a single up the middle, then pitcher Ryan McDermott threw high to second for an error on Gerald Laird’s sacrifice bunt attempt.

Cory Sullivan bunted and this time McDermott made a good throw but it went off third baseman Bobby Fry’s glove for an error.

Shaun Larkin drove in two runs when his line drive to right fooled Garland, who fell down trying to change directions. Larkin ended up with a triple.

Cypress scored five more in the eighth. It started with a double off the wall in right field by Brandon Smith. It was Smith who walked to start the Chargers’ five-run eighth as they beat Santa Rosa, 13-11, in the first round Saturday. Smith finished with two doubles and single and scored a run Sunday.

Laird, Sullivan and Brandon Pack had run-scoring singles and Adam Spiker also drove in a run with a groundout all in support of Corona.

“It was an unbelievable effort,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said of Corona. “He’s got good stuff but besides that he has a really big heart. He told the doctors from the start that he had to pitch. That’s as courageous an effort as I’ve ever seen.”