Prep baseball: Eagles stun CdM, 5-2

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - The Estancia High baseball team has neither a glossy

record, nor any poster-boy standouts who rank among Orange County’s

statistical leaders. But, if they can pull off one more upset like the

5-2 triumph Tuesday against Pacific Coast League visitor Corona del Mar,

the Eagles would stake their uncontested claim as mythical Newport-Mesa

District champions.

“And what do we get for that?,” Estancia Coach Doug Deats asked

rhetorically, after his Eagles (6-13, 3-7 in league) ended their

five-game losing streak by handing the Sea Kings (14-6, 9-1), ranked No.

9 in the county and CIF Southern Section Division IV, their first league

loss this spring.

“It was a big win and it was a team win,” said Deats, whose team,

which has already won 2 of 3 from crosstown and PCL rival Costa Mesa,

will attempt to take the three-game series with the Sea Kings, now tied,

1-1, when the two teams collide Friday at CdM. “Every kid contributed for

us today.”

None contributed more than junior left-hander Jordan Hart, who pitched

a complete-game three-hitter to even his record at 3-3.

Senior Justin Lund went 2 for 2 with a sacrifice fly, driving in two

runs and scoring one, while senior shortstop Armando Ortiz also singled

twice to lead the Eagles’ nine-hit attack.

Senior catcher Brent Davis doubled and scored, Hart and Paul Flory

singled in runs, and junior A.J. Perkins broke out of a prolonged slump

with a line single and also scored a run. Perkins was robbed of a second

hit on a fine play by CdM second baseman Matt Gugliuzza.

In addition to their offensive contributions, Ortiz was the middle

man on two double plays and Perkins had five assists and a putout at

second base.

Hart, who saw the first two CdM hitters reach on an error and a walk,

but worked out of it, stranded three runners, all at third. He struck out

two and walked three in the 80-minute affair.

“Lefty settled down,” Deats said of Hart, who pitched a complete-game

three-hitter to defeat Costa Mesa, 6-2, April 3.

CdM, which has now lost three of its last five, opened the scoring

when freshman Danny Whitaker, playing left field for senior Dave Knecht,

who was ill, singled and stole second to open the third. Rory McKeever

singled him to third and he scored on a Keith Long groundout.

Senior third baseman Eric Snell whacked a solo home run, his fifth of

the season, to put CdM up, 2-0, in the fourth.

But Estancia, which has five one-run losses, including two in an 0-3

showing at the Templeton Tournament last week, tied it up in the fourth,

then scored three in the fifth.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Estancia 5, Corona del Mar 2

Corona del Mar 001 100 0 - 2 3 2

Estancia 000 230 x - 5 9 1

Rhodes and McKeever; Hart and Davis. W - Hart, 3-3. L - Rhodes, 5-1.

2B - Davis (E). HR - Snell (CdM).