CdM’s league lead shrinks to one baseball game with 2-0 loss at Woodbridge

IRVINE — With six baseball games to go in the Pacific Coast League, Corona del Mar High went into Tuesday with a two-game lead. The Sea Kings were about to face a Woodbridge pitcher they beat in the second game of league.

That same pitcher, John Schultz, also knows what it takes to win a league title. The defending league champion Warriors first have to catch CdM.

The left-hander helped the Warriors move within a game of the Sea Kings by throwing a shutout at home.

Schultz only allowed three hits in seven innings, and Woodbridge won, 2-0, at Ryan Lemmon Stadium.

There wasn’t much offense, thanks to Schultz and CdM left-hander Chazz Martinez, who struck out 11. Kyle Giberson’s two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth drove in the game’s only two runs.

“That’s a really good team. I knew going into it because I faced them earlier in the season,” said Schultz, who allowed four runs and four hits in his four-inning stint during Woodbridge’s 5-0 loss at CdM on March 21. “I knew I had to hit my spots and execute. The defense picked me up today. It was a good day.”

The day turned out great for Schultz, who threw a complete game for the first time this year. The effort has Woodbridge at 7-3 in league, tied for second place with Beckman.

Schultz (4-2) wasn’t overpowering. He only struck out two, and walked one.

Two of CdM hits were by the left-handed hitting JT Schwartz, who went two for three. The problem for the Sea Kings (16-5, 8-2 in league), ranked No. 7 in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 poll, was their approach at the plate.

“We brought a CdM swing to a much bigger yard, so we left the ball in the air a lot,” CdM Coach John Emme said. “You can talk all day about, ‘Well, that would’ve been out if we were here or there.’ But we’re not here or there. We’re here. Guys got to focus when we’re in bigger yards on hitting line drives, but that being said, the umpire was calling the high strike, so it’s hard to lay off that when he’s calling it.”

The umpire also called a quick game. Ninety-two minutes are all it took for Woodbridge to end CdM’s five-game winning streak in league. The hottest team in league now is Woodbridge, winner of six in a row.

The defense also helped Schultz. Caleb Anderson made two diving catches, one in shallow right field to rob Nolan Dunn of a hit in the fourth and another in right-center field to rob Alex Rosen of an extra-base hit in the seventh.

Through four innings, it was scoreless. The Sea Kings and Warriors had their chances, CdM’s best came in the second inning.

After each pitcher retired the side in order in the first inning, Dunn hit a one-out, ground-rule double to left field. The next batter, Rosen, walked on five pitches. Dunn moved to third base on Matt Thompson’s sacrifice fly to center field.

With runners on the corners and Reece Berger up, Schultz induced a grounder to shortstop Will Rudy. The sophomore fielded the ball and stepped on second base to get out of the inning.

Woodbridge also stranded runners on the corners in the fourth inning. Spencer Weston’s one-out double and Chase Bradley’s single went for nothing, as Martinez struck out the next two batters swinging.

The junior started the fifth by mowing down Nick Nash with a fastball. But the next two batters reached safely, Anderson singled over second baseman Alex Shadid and Jackson Lyon reached on a throwing error.

Martinez struck out Towns King for the third time, this time looking on a curveball. Then the runners moved up to second and third on a passed ball, and two pitches later, Giberson singled, bringing in two runs to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

Martinez (5-3) went six innings. He allowed five hits and walked two.

“Getting Corona del Mar, with [its] guy on the mound, who I think is probably the best pitcher in the league, [was big], and our guy was just better today,” said Woodbridge Coach Tim Murray, whose team wraps up the three-game series with the Sea Kings on Friday.

Woodbridge plans to throw its ace, Scott Armstrong (6-2, 2.09 earned-run average), at CdM. Emme said he would counter with Tommy Wilcox (5-0, 2.29) or Shadid, who is 1-0 and hasn’t allowed a run in 11 2/3 innings.

“[Martinez] was great. We just didn’t do anything offensively,” said Emme, who is trying to lead CdM to its first league title in 11 years. “They took advantage of an error [and a passed ball], and got a couple of runs. We’ll get them back at our yard on Friday.

“We’re still one up on the field. We come back on Friday and take care of business, we’ll be fine.”

Pacific Coast League

Woodbridge 2, Corona del Mar 0

SCORE BY INNINGS

Corona del Mar 000 000 0 – 0 3 1

Woodbridge 000 020 x – 2 5 1

Martinez and M. Thompson; Schultz and Smith. W – Schultz, 4-2. L – Martinez, 5-3. 2B – Dunn (CdM), Weston (WB).

[email protected]

Twitter: @ByDCP