Baseball: Mustangs hot in comeback

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa High baseball team appears to have no

concept of the panic button, answering a 5-0 deficit with 10 runs in five

innings en route to a 10-6 victory over the Ocean View Seahawks in a

semifinal of the Foothill/Costa Mesa Tournament Thursday.

The Mustangs will play Newport Harbor in the championship game at

Costa Mesa High, Saturday at 10 a.m.

“After we were down, 5-0,” Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister said, “I

pulled the kids aside and said, ‘Hey, don’t panic. We can score runs.

That’s not a problem.’ ”

The Mustangs (3-0) began to rally in the second inning as they

collected seven hits and scored four runs, but Ocean View (2-1) still

led, 5-4.

Mesa then pulled away in the fourth and fifth innings. Mustang catcher

Dan Hunter belted an RBI-double to right field in the fourth, giving Mesa

the lead for good.

Mesa senior Carlos Franco smacked his first of two RBI-doubles in the

second inning to bring in Hunter, who had doubled.

Franco also closed the game, striking out one batter to end the sixth

and holding the Seahawks scoreless in the seventh. Franco hit the first

Ocean View batter and then he walked the next, the first free pass issued

by Mesa pitching this season. But, he and the Mustangs pulled out the

victory just before darkness.

In the sixth, Franco capped the Mustangs scoring when he scored from

third base after a wild pitch.

“(Franco is) pretty much our team leader,” Bauermeister said. “Carlos

gets those guys pumped up.”

Said Franco, “I let it all go. I don’t hold anything back. I think (my

energy) pumps up everybody. I was ready to run over the catcher (to score

Mesa’s final run). I was willing to do whatever it took.”

Mustangs Billy Halverson and Brent Stevens were also willing to put it

all on the line. Halverson went 2 for 4 with a sacrifice bunt and a walk,

and had two RBIs. Stevens collected two hits and two RBIs. Nick Cabico

also had two hits and a stolen base. Hunter finished with two doubles and

a sacrifice bunt.

“(Our offense) should help our pitchers,” Bauermeister said. “(They)

can go after people knowing that we’re going to score runs. They don’t

have to shut people out, just give us a chance.”FOOTHILL/COSTA MESA

TOURNAMENT

Costa Mesa 10, Ocean View 6 Ocean View 140 010 0 - 6 10 2

Costa Mesa 042 112 x - 10 12 3

Hann, Strong (2), Vanderplas (5), Mitchell (6) and Dubarry; Stevens,

Haubrick (4), Costelloe (5), Franco (6) and Hunter. W - Haubrick, 2-0. L

- Strong, 0-1. 2B - Kreil (OV), Hunter (CM) 2, Franco (CM) 2. HR - Barton

(OV), Yoakum (OV).