Streaking Sea Kings sizzle

Rick Devereux

LAGUNA BEACH -- Todd Macklin controlled Tuesday’s game between his

Corona del Mar High Sea Kings and the Laguna Beach Breakers from both

the batters box and the pitching mound.

The USC-bound senior went 1 for 3 with three RBIs and a home run

at the plate and gave up two runs and three hits while striking out

10 in six innings to lead Corona del Mar to a 10-4 Pacific Coast

League victory.

“Todd did a great job. Once he established his fastball for a

strike he was pretty much able to do whatever he wanted,” Coach John

Emme said. “He was terrific today.”

With the Sea Kings up, 2-0, in the top of the first, Macklin

nailed a pitch for a two-run shot and his fifth long ball on the

year. The ball easily cleared the left-field screen that has been

moved while Laguna Beach is constructing a new field.

“When he hits the ball he hits it hard. He used the park nicely on

that one and hit it to the short part in center field. He did a great

job,” Emme said.

“I wouldn’t really call it a solid hit but I’ll take what I can

get,” Macklin said.

The 4-0 advantage coming out of the first inning was all he

needed. Laguna Beach hit leadoff home runs in the second and fourth

innings, but that was all the Breakers’ bats could muster on the hot

and windless afternoon.

“I was just trying to focus on hitting my spots,” Macklin said of

his pitching performance.

Nik Palchikoff continued his hot bat, belting a two-run dinger in

the third with the ball landing in almost the exact location as

Macklin’s in the first. Palchikoff also hit an RBI double in the

fourth. The senior left fielder has a five-game hitting streak and

five-game RBI streak. During Corona del Mar’s current seven-game

winning streak, Palchikoff is hitting .476 (10-21) with 14 RBIs, two

doubles, three home runs and six runs scored.

Corona del Mar, 15-5 and 10-0 in the PCL, also played well

defensively on the few times Macklin allowed a Breaker to hit the

ball. Shortstop Jaritt Thayer made a barehanded grab on a slow roller

and threw out the runner in the third and Tyler Lance made a nice

stop on a well-hit ball to third base in the fourth inning.

The Sea Kings can clinch the league championship with a win Friday

against Laguna Beach, but, with only five PCL games remaining, an

undefeated league season is on the minds of the team.

“All the guys have been swinging well, the pitchers have been

doing their jobs, and we’ve been playing defense. That’s why we’re

10-0 in league. Right now everybody’s doing great,” Emme said.

“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing right now,” Macklin

said. “We’ve been hitting the ball solid and we’ve been keeping the

ball in front of us defensively to make the plays.”

“We’ll take it one game at a time, but we’re not planning to lose

any,” Emme said of the possibility of an undefeated PCL season. “We

can clench a league championship Friday, so that’s our first goal.”

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Pacific Coast League

Corona del Mar 10, Laguna Beach 4

Score by Innings

CdM 402 400 0 -- 10 10 0

Laguna 010 100 2 -- 4 5 1

Macklin, Maggard (7), Contant (7) and

Kelly; Wilson, Harrell (5), Wheller (7)

and Wheeler, Bolar (7). W -- Macklin,

8-1. L -- Wilson, 1-3. 2B -- Sprowl

(CdM), Whitaker (CdM). HR -- Macklin

(CdM), Kelly (LB), Palchikoff (CdM),

Harrell (LB).

*--*