Boys Baseball: Costa Mesa comes from behind again

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - A trophy wasn’t the only reward the Costa Mesa High

baseball team walked away with after a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over

Newport Harbor for the championship of the Foothill/Costa Mesa Tournament

at the Mustangs’ field Saturday morning.

Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister and senior first baseman Antony

Grubisich, who scored the game-winning run in the final inning, agreed

the Mustangs received confidence which will play a big role in their

preparation for Pacific Coast League play.

Mesa (4-0) scored two unearned runs, one in each of the last two

innings, and dealt the Sailors (3-1), who also scored an unearned run,

their first lost of the season.

A bit of controversy surfaced when the Mustangs tied the game in the

sixth inning.

With Mesa senior Josh Feldman on second base after a walk and a steal,

senior Mike Armstrong laid down a bunt on a 2-1 pitch. Harbor pitcher

Chris Ward fielded the ball and stretched to tag Armstrong on his path to

first base.

The bases umpire, who was at second base, called Armstrong out and

Bauermeister approached the umpire. Bauermeister asked the official to

verify his call with the home plate umpire who appeared to have a better

view of the play, the Mesa coach said.

After a discussion between the two officials, the home plate umpire

reversed the call.

With one out, Mesa junior Mike Carrasco got on base with a hit to load

the bases and senior Steven Shores was hit by a pitch to bring in

Feldman.

The Sailors’ defense, however, answered when Alan Lane fielded a

grounder, threw to shortstop Mike Jones, who covered second base, and

also got the out at first with a throw to Cody Forsythe.

“It looked from our vantage point that (Ward) tagged (Armstrong),”

Kiefer said. “That play changed the inning dramatically. It was just one

of those things where it’s part of the game, but it changed that inning.

It was a tough break for us.”

The Mustangs completed the comeback as Grubisich roped a leadoff

double to right field on a 2-2 pitch. Billy Halverson’s bunt moved

Grubisich to third and Kevin DeSandro’s pop fly to right field caused an

error to bring in the winning run.

“This victory means a lot to us,” Grubisich said. “Everyone has said

that we’re going to be good, so we’re just trying to prove who we are. We

can come back because we have a bunch of hitters on this team.”

Bauermeister was thrilled to earn a quality victory so early in the

season.

“To win our league,” Bauermeister said. “We have to win some games,

1-0, and, 2-1. It’s good to be in close games like that, to have to play

and make the pitches (to win). It’s good for us to come out and play

against some great pitching.”

That pitching came courtesy of Tars’ junior Shane Glenn, who fanned

three batters and allowed one hit, holding the Mustangs scoreless through

five innings.

Glenn was also aided by a Harbor defense that included left-fielder Lu

Castillo’s spectacular catch in the third inning. Castillo spoiled

Feldman’s nice hit when he dove for the catch and threw out Halverson,

who left second base, for a double play.

“Coming in we were looking for two or three innings in his first

outing,” Harbor Coach Jim Kiefer said of Glenn. “But, he competed and

made some good pitches. I was really pleased with his performance.”

Mesa (4-0) also featured some stellar pitching as Jeremiah Haubrick

struck out two, allowed three hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings. Junior

Nick Cabico recorded three strikeouts and didn’t allow a hit or a run

when he faced the last 10 batters. Cabico’s final strikeout came with the

bases loaded, ending the game.

“(Cabico is) one of our leaders even though he’s a quiet guy,”

Bauermeister said. “When he’s on the mound our kids have the confidence

that we’re going to win.”

FOOTHILL/COSTA MESA TOURNAMENT

Championship

Costa Mesa 2, Newport Harbor 1

Newport Harbor 000 100 0 - 1 3 1

Costa Mesa 000 001 1 - 2 5 4

Glenn, Ward (6) and Garrett Brant; Haubrick, Cabico (5) and Hunter,

Carrasco (5). W - Cabico, 1-0. L - Ward, 1-1. 2B - Jones (NH), Grubisich

(CM).