CdM Bunney-hops to playoffs

Steve Virgen

In order to reach the CIF Southern Section playoffs, the Corona del

Mar High softball team had to dig down deep for that something extra.

It figures.

The Sea Kings had to win Thursday against Calvary Chapel at

University High in a game that would decide third place in the

Pacific Coast League and the league’s final guaranteed berth in to

the CIF Division IV playoffs.

For CdM senior Meaghan Bunney, digging deep meant taking a ball to

the face while sliding for what would be the game-winning run. That

run also proved to be one of several key plays the Sea Kings made to

pull out an 8-7 victory that puts them in the CIF playoffs.

“It feels really great [to win],” Bunney said. “It’s nice when we

all come together as a team. And, that’s what we did. The game was a

little rocky there for awhile, but we all played together.”

CdM, the “home” team after winning the coin flip, scored seven

runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 7-2 lead. Calvary

Chapel rallied back with four runs in the third, pulling the deficit

to 7-6. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Bunney scored her gritty

run.

Bunney, who scored two runs, drew three walks and reached base on

a fielder’s choice in the second, advanced to second base on a single

to right field by junior Sarah Stern. Then, junior Jackie Manning’s

hard-hit ground ball induced an infield error.

The ball was too hot to handle for Calvary’s second base player,

the ball rolled into the outfield and Bunney sprinted toward the

plate. When she slid, the ball hit her jaw on the left side of her

face.

“I don’t know what happened,” Bunney said in regard to describing

the play. “[The Calvary catcher] was in front of the bag, and I just

charged at the plate as fast as I could.”

The Sea Kings (10-10, 6-5 in league) made important defensive

plays in the top of the seventh. Christine Hickey led off with a

triple for the Eagles (7-15, 5-6). But CdM senior pitcher Alissa

Zoelle and junior Kianna Jaye stepped up with a sensational play.

With no out, Calvary’s Amerra Kesterson produced a slow groundball

toward third base. Zoelle fielded it and heard Jaye calling for the

ball at third base because Hickey was attempting to score. Zoelle

made the quick throw to third, where Jaye tagged Hickey.

“That was a big play,” CdM co-coach Ed Mejia said. “That was a

good reaction out of both of them.”

“We just both read each other’s minds,” Jaye said. “I started

calling for the ball and [Zoelle] looked right at me. She knew what I

was talking about. She’s such an awesome player.”

The Eagles came within, 8-7, after scoring with the bases loaded

and two out. But, Manning, who plays second base for CdM, ended the

game when she gloved a low line drive.

“This is big,” Mejia said of the win. “These girls deserve to go

to CIF. We’ve had injuries. The girls played hard. We started out bad

by giving them two runs in the first. But we battled back. I knew

this was going to be a tough game.”

Calvary scored two runs in the first, one coming unearned.

However, CdM pulled ahead with seven runs in the second after the

Eagles’ pitcher walked five batters in the inning. Calvary also

committed three errors in the inning and allowed two hits.

Lauren Loe, Bunney, Stern, Manning, Melanie Cole, Heather Lohrman

and Zoelle scored for the Sea Kings. Loe, Bunney and Stern displayed

aggressiveness in their base running.

Loe led off the inning with a walk. She advanced to second after

Bunney reached on a fielder’s choice. Bunney’s ground ball went

toward second base where it was fielded and the player from Calvary

tossed it to her teammate who dropped it.

Loe quickly rose from sliding and advanced to third. She scored on

an error after Manning put the ball into play. Stern scored on a wild

pitch.

Zoelle led the Sea Kings with two hits and one RBI, while Jaye and

Cole also collected one RBI each to help CdM exact revenge. The Sea

Kings lost to Calvary, 12-5, Monday at CdM.

Eagles Coach Dave Rolph said Marian Paino, who pitched in the win

Monday, was ill Thursday and could not play. He said that made a

difference in the game, yet CdM made more plays to win.

“We let them in the game with those errors [in the second],” Rolph

said. “But they’re a good team. They hit the ball well and they’re a

scary team. We came up just short. But they deserved to win.”

*--*

Pacific Coast League

Third-place playoff

Corona del Mar 8, Calvary Chapel 7 Score by

Innings

Calvary 204 000 1 -- 7 8 5

CdM 070 001 x -- 8 5 4

Wilt and Merrell; Zoelle and Tyson. W --

Zoelle, 9-8. L -- Wilt. 3B -- Wilt (CC),

Hickey (CC)

*--*