Prep baseball: Mustangs edged in eight

Barry Faulkner

GARDEN GROVE - Costa Mesa High sophomore Billy Halverson singled in

the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, but host Garden Grove

rallied for a pair to claim a 3-2 baseball victory Friday in the Costa

Mesa Tournament’s pool-play opener.

Josh Little, who relieved starter Jeremiah Haubrick in the sixth, led the

Mustangs’ 11-hit attack with a single, double and triple in four official

at-bats.

Halverson, as well as juniors Carlos Franco and Steven Shores had two

hits for the Mustangs, who continue pool play Tuesday at home against

Brentwood.

The game featured only two walks (both by Mesa pitchers) and one error

(by the Mustangs), prompting Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister to praise his

team’s 2000 debut.

“You always walk away from an extra-inning loss disappointed, but,

looking back, I thought we played really well, especially for an opener,”

Bauermeister said.

Shores made a sterling defensive play at third base and Mesa senior

catcher Galel Fajardo threw out two would-be base stealers.

Joe Harkey (nine strikeouts) went the distance for the Argonauts, who

return seven starters from last year’s CIF playoff team.

HIGH SCHOOL

Costa Mesa Tournament

Pool Play

Garden Grove 3, Costa Mesa 2 (8 innings)

Costa Mesa 100 000 01 - 2 11 1

Garden Grove 000 100 02 - 3 6 0

Haubrick, Little (6) and Fajardo; Harkey and Cepeda. 2B - Little (CM),

Franco (CM), Halverson (CM), Harkey (GG), Carreira (GG). 3B - Little

(CM).