Prep baseball: CdM does Mesa one better

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - In the jumbled Pacific Coast League baseball pack

chasing University High, it had become time for someone to step forward

and make a declarative statement as the first round of league play

concluded Friday.

And Corona del Mar High Coach John Emme had just the man for the job.

“When you have someone, at this age, who has that look on their face that

they want the baseball, you give it to him,” Emme said of junior

right-hander Cavan Cuyler.

Cuyler rewarded Emme’s faith, going the distance in the Sea Kings’ 2-1

home victory over Costa Mesa.

Cuyler, who is perfect in three decisions and now has an ERA of 1.12 in

25 2/3 innings, yielded seven hits and took a shutout into the final

inning. He struck out three, walked two, hit a batter and benefited from

flawless defense.

“Cavan’s been phenomenal,” Emme said. “He’s just a bulldog out there. He

established his fastball early today, then, when we unveiled his

change-up in the fourth inning, he had some guys who were sitting

fastball, swinging at air.”

Cuyler’s wasn’t the only impressive pitching performance, as Mesa

sophomore Nick Cabico turned in a complete-game four-hitter.

Cabico, however, was victimized by some shaky defense in the opening

inning, when the Sea Kings (5-5, 2-2 in league), scored their only runs.

“Nicky did what we expected,” said Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister, whose

Mustangs (4-5-1, 2-2) fall into a three-way tie for second place with CdM

and Laguna Beach. “We played a good game today, but we got a little

sloppy in that first inning. If we play catch in the first inning, we

win.”

CdM freshman shortstop Keith Long started the decisive rally with a

one-out single, then stole second.

Cabico fielded a comebacker by the next hitter and threw to third, in

plenty of time to get Long, who had broken on contact.

But Long slid under the third baseman’s tag attempt and Billy Eagle then

stole second to put two runners in scoring position for cleanup hitter

Derek Loe.

Long scored on Loe’s groundout to third and Eagle came home when a

subsequent grounder to first was mishandled for an error.

CdM had only three singles the rest of the way, but Cuyler had all he

would need.

Seven different Mustangs had hits, but the Sea Kings executed all day

defensively to consistently foil would-be Mesa rallies.

Long, second baseman Alex Swanson and catcher Rory McKeever, all made big

plays to help strand seven Costa Mesa runners. Loe also had three assists

on his three chances.

A CdM double play ended Mesa’s third inning and a strong, accurate throw

to second by McKeever to nail a would-be base-stealer helped diffuse

Mesa’s sixth-inning rally.

“(McKeever’s erasure) was huge,” Emme said of the play, which came after

a hit batter opened the inning. “I told (McKeever) afterward that play

may have won the game for us.”

The game appeared in hand, until Mesa threatened in the seventh.

Billy Halverson doubled past a diving left fielder with two out and

Cabico followed with a single up the middle to avert the shutout.

Cuyler got the next hitter to ground out, however, to propel CdM back in

the thick of things.

“We were either going to be tied for second, or two games out of second,

so this was a big game for us,” Emme said.

Bauermeister said the Mustangs are in equally good position, despite the

setback.

“At this point, to be 2-2 in league, we’re still in good shape,”

Bauermeister said. “We played well today. We put the ball in play and we

played hard. The thing about baseball is, you can’t guide the ball.

Sometimes you play well and lose.”

Long finished 2 for 3, while Dave Knecht and Cuyler had the other two

hits for the winners. Knecht also had a stolen base.

Costa Mesa senior center fielder Josh Little had a single and a stolen

base, while teammates Steven Shores (single and a walk), Galel Fajardo

(single and a walk) and Daniel Hunter (single and a fielder’s choice)

each reached base twice for the visitors.

Mesa gets a chance to bounce back with a nonleague home game against La

Quinta today at 10 a.m.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 2, Costa Mesa 1

Costa Mesa 000 000 1 - 1 7 1

Corona del Mar 200 000 x - 2 4 0

Cabico and Fajardo; Cuyler and McKeever. W - Culyer, 3-0. L - Cabico,

1-2. 2B - Halverson (CM).