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).
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