Eagles get wings clipped
Roger Carlson
COSTA MESA - Estancia High’s Eagles were left feeling pretty
unfulfilled Monday afternoon as visiting University High’s Trojans swept
to their 11th straight Pacific Coast League baseball victory without a
defeat.
But they are not without company.
Coach Chris Conlin’s Blue Bombers have done what they did on Monday to a
lot, and when they produce like Conlin describes as “A good plan,”
there’s not a lot anyone in the PCL can do about it.
“It happens,” said Estancia Coach Doug Deats, looking for some sort of
silver lining from the day’s work.
There wasn’t a lot to be found.
Third baseman Casey Gates had a flare single to very short right in the
second inning and a grounder which went into left field in the fifth
inning for a base hit, and C.K. Green walked in the first inning.
But that’s the extent of damage the Eagles could muster against 6-foot-3
senior Matt Gamble (9-0), who struck out struck out five in the
five-inning stint.
While Gamble was just about untouchable, the Trojans unleashed a
Murderers’ Row which racked up 15 hits, including six doubles (three by
sophomore Matt Stone) and a pair of two-run homers by junior Kevin
Conlin.
Stone (4 for 4) raised his batting average to .455, and cleanup hitter
Jay Nichols was 2 for 3 to up his numbers to .580.
For Conlin, his four-baggers raised his count to seven for the year. The
first was to deep center, about 400 feet. The second was a tailing flare
over the right-field corner.
The CIF Playoffs-bound Trojans (20-4 overall) have one game left before
the eliminations, Wednesday, with a home game against these same Eagles,
9-13, 2-9.
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
University 11, Estancia 0
University 112 25 - 11 15 0
Estancia 000 00 - 0 2 1
Gamble and Wood; Ortiz and Davis. W - Gamble, 9-0. L - Ortiz, .... 2B -
Nichols (U), Ledesma (U), Stone (U) 3, Sherwood (U). HR - Conlin (U) 2.
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