Prep baseball: Mesa is Uni’s equal

Barry Faulkner

IRVINE - The University High baseball juggernaut proved unbeatable

once again Tuesday, but visiting Costa Mesa managed the next best thing

in a 4-4 eight-inning tie that figures to create a little intrigue in the

Pacific Coast League baseball standings.

The darkness-induced verdict, which will stand as a tie under league

rules, ended a 15-game PCL winning streak for the two-time defending

champion Trojans (4-3-1, 1-0-1 in league). Uni is now 23-2-2 against

league competition the last two-plus seasons.

The other tie during that stretch was a 10-10 home deadlock against

Mesa in 1999.

“This was a game that was going to determine whether we were a

pretender or a contender,” Costa Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister said. “We

looked like a pretender the first couple innings, but we settled down and

came back against a very good team. We came here expecting to win, but,

after getting behind, 4-1, a tie isn’t so bad. The great thing about it

is, if we get down later in league, we know we can come back.”

It was the Trojans who were forced to rally first, after Mesa senior

catcher Daniel Hunter doubled in Nick Cabico to open the scoring in the

first.

Uni senior shortstop Kevin Conlin, the son of veteran Trojan coach

Chris Conlin, drove a solo homer to right-center field to even things.

After Mike Armstrong put Mesa (6-1-1, 1-0-1) ahead again by scoring on

a Josh Feldman groundout, the hosts took advantage of some lackluster

defensive execution to score three times in the second.

“We were a little flat early,” Bauermeister said. “Maybe it was

because the kids were so fired up to play Mater Dei (a 15-4 nonleague

loss Monday).”

After Aston Chaney singled with one out in the Uni second, he tried to

advance to third on a single. Mesa left fielder Carlos Franco, however,

gunned to third in time to get Aston, only to see the ball dropped by the

Mesa infielder, leaving runners at the corners.

A bunt single by Nick Gerakos then scored Chaney, but Mesa starter

Jeremiah Haubrick got the first of his four strikeouts for what should

have been the final out.

Uni leadoff man Matt Stone legged out a high chopper to short to load

the bases and Conlin worked a walk to put the Trojans ahead, 3-2.

Haubrick got defending Orange County batting champion Jay Nichols to hit

a sharp grounder right at a defender. A difficult, but makeable play

turned into an infield hit and an RBI when the ball was bobbled and Uni

merely had to hold on.

But, with Haubrick battling gamely into the fourth and Nick Cabico

providing 4 1/3 innings of sterling relief, Mesa was afforded the

opportunity to mount a rally.

The payoff came in the fifth when Hunter and Steven Shores were issued

one-out walks. A groundout advanced them to second and third and Michael

McGuire lashed two-run single to left to knot things.

Costa Mesa stranded a man at third in the seventh and eighth.

But, with Cabico fanning five, yielding only one hit, and delivering

lively fastball, curveball and changeup in a string of clutch sequences,

Uni’s vaunted offense could not break through.

“Top to bottom, we have a better hitting team than we did last year,”

Chris Conlin said. “But Cabico pitched very well and our guy (Adam

Horner, who fanned five in two innings of relief) did a nice job, too.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 4, University 4

Costa Mesa 110 020 00 - 4 6 2

University 130 000 00 - 4 9 2

Haubrick, Cabico (4) and Hunter; Stone, Sherwood (4), Horner (7) and

Sagud, Edmonds (4). 2B - Hunter (CM), Halverson (CM), Stone (U). HR -

Conlin (U).