Baseball: Mustangs battle Mater Dei but fall in sixth

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - One big inning and one gigantic inning did in the

Costa Mesa High baseball team in Monday’s 15-4 at-large loss in the Costa

Mesa-Foothill Tournament to visiting Mater Dei.

In a matchup of two undefeated teams, the Mustangs (6-1) hung tough

with the Monarchs (7-0), ranked No. 2 in CIF Southern Section Division II

before a nine-run sixth inning blew a 6-4 Mater Dei lead wide open.

“I think they knew they were in a baseball game for five innings,”

Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister said. “The biggest thing I was proud of was

that they earned the win. We didn’t make mistakes and give away runs. Our

pitchers threw strikes and they hit it hard.”

Mustangs’ catcher Dan Hunter sparked Mesa’s offense. The senior came

through with an RBI double in the first and followed that up with a

two-run single in the third.

“He’s been hitting like that all year long,” Bauermeister said. “When

there’s runners on, he seems to find a way to get them home.”

Hunter’s two hits improved his team-leading batting average to .643,

while his three RBIs increase his team-leading total to 10.

Mater Dei flexed its muscles early, jumping out to a 4-0 first-inning

lead. Michael Mercado, C.J. Cook and Daniel Perales came through with

three straight doubles, driving in all four runs.

The Mustangs managed to cut into the lead in the bottom of the first

when junior Nick Cabico, who transferred from Costa Mesa to Mater Dei his

sophomore year before returning back to Mesa, reached with a single to

center field, stole second and scored on Hunter’s single to center.

Mater Dei got that run back in the second inning when leadoff hitter

Andy Castillo was hit with a pitch, stole second and scored on a two-out

double off the left-field fence by Sergio Santos.

From there Mesa right-hander Brent Sevens settled down and pitched

effectively. Following Santos’ double, the senior retired seven of the

next nine batters he faced.

Mesa got a little closer in the third inning when senior Mike

Armstrong led off with an infield single and went to second when senior

Josh Feldman walked.

After a one-out grounder moved the runners to second and third, Hunter

sent a 2-1 fastball into center, scoring both runners and making the

score, 4-3.

The Monarchs started to flex their muscles in the fifth when catcher

Michael Mercado homered deep into left field for a 5-3 lead.

Left-hander Ryan Costelloe came into the game and ended the inning by

coaxing a 4-6-3 double play, keeping the score, 5-3.

Mesa, again, returned the favor with a run in the bottom half of the

inning when Feldman was hit by a pitch, stole second, was balked to third

and scored on an RBI grounder by Cabico.

“I guess if there was ever a moral victory, this would have to be it,”

Bauermeister said on his team’s play. “We hung tough and we pushed one of

the top teams in Orange County.”

Unfortunately, the Monarchs pushed back in a big way in the sixth

inning.

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Santos showed the crowd why he’s

a projected first-round pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft

with a line-drive double down the right-field line, scoring two runs.

Mercado, a senior catcher who also caught the eye of numerous scouts

in attendance, followed with his second home run of the game, a three-run

shot that blew the game wide open.

Two batters later, Perales and Tim Stewart connected on back-to-back

solo home runs to center. After a strikeout and a single by Garrett Gipe,

Castillo ended the scoring outburst with a two-run home run to

left-center.

“We had to keep our pitchers out there a little longer than we

normally would have because we’re playing (today),” Bauermeister said.

The Mustangs scored four runs off of Mater Dei left-hander Josh Gagne

(2-0). He struck out six over five innings before Matt Navarrette closed

out the game with a scoreless sixth.

The Mustangs resume Pacific Coast League action on the road today

against defending-champion University. Game time is set for 3:15 p.m.

“We’re going to find out what we’re made of after this two-game

stretch,” Bauermeister said.

COSTA MESA-FOOTHILL TOURNAMENT

At-large

Mater Dei 15, Costa Mesa 4 Mater Dei 410 019 - 15 15 0

Costa Mesa 102 010 - 4 4 0

Gagne, Navarrette (6) and Mercado; Stevens, Costelloe (5) and Hunter.

W - Gagne, 2-0. L - Stevens, 1-1. 2B - Cook (MD) 2, Santos (MD) 2,

Mercado (MD), Perales (MD), Harris (MD). HR - Mercado (MD) 2, Perales

(MD), Stewart (MD), Castillo (MD).