Santa Margarita pitcther Collin Clarke (12) pitches against Corona in a game at the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita pitcther Collin Clarke (12), center, is congratulated by teammates after defeating Corona the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita’s Blake Wilson (27), left, of Santa Margarita crosses the plate for a score against Corona in the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein (27) of Corona pitches aginst Santa Margarita in a game at the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita’s Blake Wilson (27) tags out Corona’s Aidan Brown (22) for the third out as he attempts to get back to second base in a game at the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Billy Carlson (3) of Corona reacts after throwing out Tyler Ankrum (9) of Santa Margarita in the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita’s Blake Wilson (27), left, and Zach Fjelstad (2) celebrate as they run back to the dugout after Wilson tagged out Corona’s Aidan Brown (22), right, attempting to get back to second base in a game at the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Zach Fjelstad (2) of Santa Margarita catches a fly ball hit by Josh Springer (13) of Corona in the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein (27) of Corona pitches aginst Santa Margarita in a game at the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jaylen White (9) of Coronas scores from third base on a hit from Corona’s Jared Saldana (2) to tie the game against Santa Margarita in the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Logan De Groot (20) of Santa Margarita catches a fly ball for the last out in a game against Corona in the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
of Santa Margarita of Corona in the Boras Baseball Classic tournament at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
SANTA ANA – The formula of good pitching, timely hitting and error-free defense has won many baseball games.
It did so again Tuesday for Santa Margarita. The Eagles made the most of their three hits and got a complete game from Collin Clake to defeat Corona 2-1 in a Boras Classic South first-round game at Mater Dei.
Santa Margarita (15-3) will play Aquinas (13-2) in a second-round game Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Mater Dei. Corona (14-4) will play Cypress (16-5) in a consolation-round game Wednesday at 9 a.m. at Mater Dei.
Tuesday’s game, which ended Corona’s winning streak at eight games, matched two teams that are high in CIF Southern Section and state rankings. Santa Margarita is No. 2 and Corona is No. 4 in the CIF-SS Division 1 top 10. The CalHiSports.com California rankings have Santa Margarita at No. 2 and Corona at No. 3.
Clarke, a senior right-hander, gave up six hits and struck out eight. He allowed back-to-back walks in the second inning when Corona got its run. Clarke did not give up a walk after that.
“My coach (Willie Kuhl) talked to me and said, ‘It seems like you’re over-throwing,’ ” Clarke said, ” ‘so just to try to settle in and relax and hit your spots with your off-speed stuff.’ ”
On the other side, Corona left-handed pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein was terrific. The senior, who signed with UCLA, struck out 12 in six innings, exhibiting a high-octane fastball and confident command of his off-speed pitches.
Santa Margarita scored its first run in the top of the first inning. With two outs Luke Lavin singled, stole second base and scored on Logan de Groot’s two-strike single.
Corona tied it in the bottom of the second. Jaylen White and Billy Carlson got the back-to-back walks to start the inning. Daniel Rivera’s sacrifice bunt advanced White to third base and Carlson to second and Jared Saldana’s single made it 1-1.
Santa Margarita scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. With one out, Blake Wilson walked and Lavin’s opposite-field double dropped just inside the left-field line and moved Wilson to third base. When de Groot’s fly to short center required Corona center fielder Saldana to make a diving catch, Wilson tagged up and scored without a throw for a 2-1 lead.
