Mesa draws first blood, 3-2

Roger Carlson

COSTA MESA - Cross-town rivals Estancia and the host Costa Mesa

High Mustangs duked it out in a pitcher’s duel Friday in Pacific Coast

League baseball openers, and it was Mesa which pulled out a 3-2 victory

in a game which could have turned on seemingly three dozen different

moments.

Kirk Bauermeister’s winners managed to pick up five assorted singles in

the fourth inning to put together two runs and a 3-1 edge, but perhaps

the play of the game came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Doug

Deats’ Eagles rallied with one run, only to see a tying run cut down at

the plate.

The Eagles had J.B. Goff aboard by way of error and Jordan Lund followed

with a sun-fly double which couldn’t be handled in right, putting two

runners in scoring position with no outs.

Pitcher Armando Ortiz, who threw well enough to win most games despite

the numbers (Estancia had nine its in all), followed with a base hit to

right, scoring Goff and bringing Lund around third.

Evan McGuire’s peg to first baseman Carlos Franco was relayed to home and

catcher Galel Fatardo applied the tag for the inning’s first out.

“For the life of me I didn’t think he could throw him out,” said Deats,

looking back on his decision to send his runner to the plate.

“We’ve been doing a pretty good job of playing catch and keeping the ball

in play,” said Bauermeister, obviously happy with his team’s defense, and

in particular, that combination.

Moments later the Eagles’ luck once again fell victim to Mesa’s defense

as they ran into a well-played 1-4-3 double play to end the threat.

Estancia would mildly threaten just once thereafter with a two-out error

in the seventh inning putting pinch-hitter Matt Mueller aboard, but

Franco came in and with one pitch induced a 5-4 force to get the save.

Estancia struck first in the second inning when two walks and two wild

pitches gave the Eagles a 1-0 gift.

Costa Mesa rallied in the third inning with a solo run as Josh Little

delivered a two-out single, stole second and scored when Franco’s base

hit was misplayed.

The fifth inning was a classic display of little ball as Fatardo singled

over third, Jeremiah Haubrick sent a grounder up the middle with eyes,

Evan McGuire got aboard with a bad-hop single to short, Nick Cabico

singled off Ortiz’s glove and Lyle Yourex punched one to left.

Five batters, five singles, but the knockout blow never came as the bases

were left filled as Ortiz got the ntext two batters.

“He gives us fits all the time with that breaking ball,” said

Bauermeister of Ortiz. “He’s a great kid.”

Deats was understandably proud of Ortiz, as well as all of his Eagles,

but had that familiar lament. “I wish we could play better defense.”

Bauermeister, meanwhile, with the victory in his pocket, said, “I wish we

could just get some more offense.”

Cabico threw four innings with spotty control, striking our four and

walking four, and got the victory. Haubrink was effective in relief, and

Franco threw just one pitch and came away with an A for his report card,

and the save.

Ortiz , meanwhile, was nickel and dimed a lot, and got the loss.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 3, Estancia 2

Estancia 010 010 0 - 2 3 3

Costa Mesa 001 200 x - 3 9 1

Ortiz and Davis; Cabico, Haubrink (5), Franco (7) and Fatardo. W -

Cabico. L - Ortiz. Sv - Franco. 2B - Ortiz (Est). 3B - Yourex (CM).