If one at-bat summed up Danny Moskovits’ senior year at Corona del Mar High, the last one coming in the Sea Kings’ final victory is the best way to tell it.
Go back to May 29. The Sea Kings are in a tight CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinal playoff baseball game on the road in Hacienda Heights.
Los Altos is behind by one run in the top of the sixth. Moskovits steps to the plate with runners on. An extra-base hit here and CdM is bound for its first semifinal appearance since 2004.
The pitches Moskovits has seen so far: all curveballs. Try a dozen. Nothing good to hit.
Moskovits reminded himself to relax and stay back for another curve.
Practically everyone figured out the next pitch. Coach John Emme figured Moskovits would deliver again in the clutch.
When the game is on the line, Moskovits thrives.
The curve came and Moskovits stroked a two-run double toward the gap in right-center field, blowing the game open and sending CdM into celebration mode.
Seeing Moskovits come through was nothing new. The Sea Kings won, 6-3, and Emme earned his 200th career victory that day.
Emme has won a lot of big games and coached a lot of talented players during his 12 years at CdM.
Emme said Moskovits ranks as one of his top 10 players of all time.
This year, Moskovits is the Newport-Mesa Dream Team Player of the Year in baseball. He ran away with the award in walk-off fashion.
The Harvard-bound Moskovits produced one of the finest offensive seasons in recent CdM history, earning him first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III and first-team All-Pacific Coast League recognition.
Moskovits hit .333, led the team with six home runs, 39 runs batted in, 14 doubles and 36 runs.
The RBI total is a school record, surpassing Ty Harper’s mark of 36 set in 28 games during the Sea Kings’ 1999 section championship season. Moskovits, a first baseman, played one extra game.
One more and the Sea Kings would have competed for their fourth section crown in school history. The playoff run ended at home, losing in the semis to eventual champ South Hills of West Covina.
The season proved to be a memorable one for Moskovits, a three-time Dream Team pick. Not because of his individual achievements, but how CdM bounced back after starting out 8-9.
Emme said Moskovits’ 36 runs ranks third and his six home runs tied him for fifth in Emme’s single-season record book.
