Prep baseball: Mesa falls into Panther’s Webb

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The Costa Mesa High baseball team fell victim to a

“Webb” gem Saturday. The term utilized on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight program

to describe defensive wizardry, however, took on a new meaning thanks to

Newbury Park cleanup hitter Doug Webb.

Webb belted a two-run homer over the center-field fence to help the

Panthers build a 3-0 first-inning lead, then capped a four-run fifth with

a three-run double. The double, yanked into the gap in left-center, broke

a 4-4 tie and enabled Newbury Park to claim an 8-4 triumph in the first

round of the Pride of the Coast Tournament on the Mustangs’ diamond.

Webb collected just two of the visitors’ 11 hits, but his five RBIs

were enough to hand the Mustangs their fifth loss in their last six

games.

Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister, however, is hardly discouraged.

“We were a little unlucky today, but I thought we played well enough

to win,” Bauermeister said. “We were a little tentative on defense, but I

think we’re headed in the right direction.”

The Mustangs (9-6-1) appeared headed for a come-from-behind triumph

when they rallied from a 4-1 deficit to knot the score in the fourth.

But, after two infield singles and an error on a sacrifice bunt loaded

the bases in the Newbury Park fifth, Webb struck the decisive blow.

Mesa, which played 16 players, was hitless in its final three innings.

Panthers’ starting pitcher Shane Heid earned his third victory in five

decisions by allowing just six hits and striking out five in six innings.

Cody Collet fanned two in a scoreless seventh inning of relief to

close it out, and help Newbury Park (8-9-1) advance to Monday’s 11 a.m.

championship quarterfinal against Charter Oak.

Costa Mesa hosts Santa Ana Monday at 2 p.m. in a consolation

quarterfinal.

Costa Mesa leadoff man Josh Feldman went 2 for 3 to improve to 7 for

11 in three games this week. His infield single in the first was followed

by a Nick Cabico single and a scoring fly ball by Michael McGuire to cut

the lead to 3-1.

After Newbury Park added a run in the third, Feldman followed Mike

Carrasco’s leadoff walk with a line single to left. A wild pitch moved

both runners into scoring position and Cabico plated Feldman with a

safety squeeze bunt, before McGuire followed with an RBI single to make

it 4-3.

Brent Stevens ignited a one-out rally in the Mesa fourth with an

infield single. Charlie Amburgey then reached on a throwing error by the

shortstop and Carrasco singled home Stevens to bring the Mustangs even.

Costa Mesa used three pitchers in relief of senior starter Matt

Snyder, who worked a perfect second and yielded just two earned runs in

two-plus innings.

“We’ve had a hard time getting (Snyder) some innings, so we thought

today would be a good opportunity,” Bauermeister said.

Feldman added two stolen bases, while outfielder Jeremy Cooper helped

nail a Newbury Park runner at the plate, when his throw from the fence

was relayed nicely by shortstop Billy Halverson to the catcher, Carrasco,

who applied the tag.

The Mustangs stranded a runner at third in the fifth and seventh

innings.

The Mustangs will hope to return to the win column Monday against the

Saints, who were defeated by Charter Oak, 10-0, Saturday.

PRIDE OF THE COAST TOURNAMENT

First round

Newbury Park 8, Costa Mesa 4

Newbury Park 301 040 0 - 8 11 2

Costa Mesa 102 100 0 - 4 6 3 Heid, Collet (7) and Webb; Snyder, Haubrick (3), Costelloe (6), Franco

(6) and Carrasco. W - Heid, 3-2. L - Haubrick, 2-1. 2B - Hicks (NP), Webb

(NP). HR - Webb (NP).