Mustangs mercy Eagles

COSTA MESA — The Costa Mesa High softball team dropped a delayed bomb on crosstown and Orange Coast League rival Estancia Tuesday.

Going into the bottom of the fourth it was a genuine pitchers’ duel between the Mustangs’ Kira Mitani and Estancia’s Cheyanne Flores. However, after Costa Mesa catcher Alosina Skipps’ one-out double that shot to the right-field fence, the bomb ignited.

The Mustangs proceeded to pound in eight runs in the fourth inning on nine hits, four of which were doubles. Costa Mesa then decided to the end the rivalry matchup early and tack on a run in both the fifth and six innings to win by mercy rule, 10-0.

“We set team goals every game,” Costa Mesa Coach Nichole Maddox said. “And one of our team goals was to bat around the order. I told them, it’s contagious. Once one person starts, hitting becomes contagious. It was a great feeling.”

Any time a coach’s team pulls a mercy rule out, the feeling afterward should be good. But against rival Estancia (8-12, 2-5 in league), Maddox understated her excitement. The Eagles beat Costa Mesa (16-7, 3-4) twice earlier in the regular season and a win Tuesday would have meant a season sweep for Estancia.

It was expected that the Mustangs would come out and compete on their home field, but a mercy rule was certainly unexpected. Each team came into the game with the same league record of 2-4 and Estancia only won the previous two meetings by a combined total of four runs. The teams appeared evenly matched, but Costa Mesa showed it was prepared.

“We have been working really hard all season and this was the perfect time to put it into play,” Maddox said. “When you play Estancia, you always want to win and win big. We wanted to make the statement that we are Costa Mesa and we are not to be messed with.”

Whether that statement holds true to the end of the season or not, one factor is certain: Mitani is not to be messed with. In her 21st start of the season, she struck out four and didn’t allow a walk in her four-hitter. It was her second straight complete-game shutout.

The senior’s presence at the plate is not to be ignored either. On Tuesday she cracked a two-out, two-run double in the fourth inning.

“She is an amazing pitcher. It will be hard without her next year.” Maddox said of her senior starter. “She made [Estancia] put the ball in play where our team had to do their job, and they did.”

The main reason it could have been deemed a pitchers’ duel was because of how tight the defense played behind both players in the first few innings.

Case in point: In the top of the third inning, Eagles catcher Kassie Stratton hit a shot to the far left of second baseman Sami Feinstein, who slid to get in front of the ball and knocked it down. She then tossed the ball from her knees to get the close out at first.

Estancia had similarly big plays in the opening innings, including a catch off a hard line drive by third baseman Nicole Marlbrough that got the Eagles out of a bases-loaded jam. Unfortunately, for the Eagles, that was the only jam they could void because Costa Mesa thoroughly stacked the hits on Estancia.

Skipps went three for four with three runs batted in and a double. Alex Kronfeldt went two for three with a RBI, while Michelle Hernandez added a double and an RBI of her own for Costa Mesa.

Orange Coast League Costa Mesa 10, Estancia 0 SCORE BY INNINGS

Flores, Marlborough (4), Flores (5) and Stratton; Mitani and Skipps. W – Mitani, 13-8. L – Flores, 7-10. 2B – Hartwell (E); Mitani (CM), Skipps (CM), Kronfeldt (CM).