Mater Dei Makes a Big Push in 7th to Beat Santa Margarita

Mater Dei made an emphatic statement to its Serra League foes Wednesday with a six-run barrage in the seventh inning of a 10-4 victory over host Santa Margarita:

Go ahead, push us to the limit. That will only make us stronger.

After Santa Margarita tied the score in the sixth on bases-empty home runs by John Roth and Michael Foley, the second-ranked Monarchs (17-3, 6-1) responded with seven consecutive hits and took a one-game lead over the Eagles (12-10, 5-2) with five games left in the regular season.

Andrew Castillo doubled to lead off the seventh and scored on C.J. Cook’s single to right-center. Sergio Santos, who had been hitless in three at-bats, then doubled down the left-field line to drive in Cook, and the rout was underway.

“We have the ability to string together hits and put runs up,” Mater Dei Coach Burt Call said. “We stepped it up in the seventh, and it was a pretty good offensive display.”

Ken Chicoine, the Monarchs’ designated hitter making his first start of the season, hit his first two home runs and drove in four. Call said Chicoine, a junior, would start again Saturday when Mater Dei hosts Santa Margarita in the season finale between the teams. The Monarchs lead the series, 2-1.

“If we get that game,” Santos said, “I’d be pretty confident we would clinch the league.”

Chicoine hit a bases-empty home run to left-center in the second and a three-run shot to left in the fourth to give Mater Dei a 4-0 lead. Monarch starting pitcher Anthony Slama looked like he was going to make the lead stand up until taking a line drive off his left calf in the fifth.

Slama then gave up Will Noble’s run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk to pinch-hitter Matt Cusick that cut the lead to 4-2. Santa Margarita’s two home runs in the sixth off reliever Warren Chenier tied the score, but only set the stage for Mater Dei’s huge inning.