Skip to content
Tim Burt. Sports HS Reporter.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 31, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

IRVINE – Woodbridge pitcher Zak Baayoun wasn’t about to come out of Friday’s Pacific Coast League baseball game with Corona del Mar, even after taking a line drive off his hand in the seventh inning.

CdM’s Evan Larsen ripped a shot up the middle leading off the seventh. Baayoun tried to field the ball, but Larsen reached safely with an infield single.

Baayoun then picked off a pinch-runner at first base and the Warriors got the final two outs to capture a 2-1 victory at Ryan Lemmon Stadium to move back into sole possession of second place in the PCL. Woodbridge and CdM were tied for second going into the game.

“Instinctively, I tried to catch the ball, but it wasn’t on my glove hand,” said Baayoun. “It probably wasn’t the smartest move on my part, but I just wanted to make a play. The hand is fine.”

Corona del Mar (17-4, 7-4) looked like it might rally after Larsen’s hit before Baayoun picked off the pinch-runner.

“It was a great call by our coach,” Baayoun said.

Baayoun (6-2) allowed four hits, struck out two, walked three and hit two batters.

Jake Larson led Woodbridge’s six-hit attack, going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Kevin McCarthy had two hits for Corona del Mar.

Corona del Mar moved ahead, 1-0, in the third inning when Donato DiFerdinando walked and eventually scored on an infield hit by Preston Hartsell.

The Warriors (15-7, 8-3) came back with two runs in the bottom of the third inning off Sea Kings starter Alex Shadid.

Baayoun doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Jackson Lyon then walked and Larson followed with an RBI single to tie the score.

Lyon then scored from second on an errant pick-off throw.

“The pitcher did a great job. We made a critical mistake, throwing behind a runner that gave them the second run,” said CdM coach John Emme. “We had tons of opportunities. We had guys on third with one out several times and couldn’t drive them in.

“The pitcher (Baayoun) settled down and did a great job. We just made it a little tougher on ourselves.”

Woodbridge coach Tim Murray was pleased that his squad was able to bounce back from a 5-3 loss to Corona del Mar on Tuesday.

“I know my team and I know my guys understand the game of baseball,” Murray said.

“I think we’re a different, resilient team. One of my favorite quotes is, ‘the strongest steel goes through the hottest fire,’ and when I went to the mound to see Baayoun and see his hand, his hand was shaking, and I told him that exact quote (from Texas Christian baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle).

“Zak Baayoun just did a heck of a job of competing and our offense got together enough runs to do it.”

Contact the writer: tburt@ocregister.com