Baseball: Franco saves the day for Mustangs

LAGUNA BEACH - Carlos Franco recorded his fourth save of the season

and bailed out starter Ryan Costelloe in the fifth inning, and Daniel

Hunter put matters out of reach with a three-run home run, as Costa Mesa

High defeated host Laguna Beach, 10-5, in a Pacific Coast League baseball

game Tuesday.

Costa Mesa (14-7-1, 6-5-1 in PCL) can clinch a CIF Southern Section

Division IV playoff berth Friday with a home victory over the Artists

(7-14, 4-8) at TeWinkle Park at 7 p.m.

With Costa Mesa leading, 7-4, Franco relieved Costelloe with Laguna

Beach runners on first and second and two outs and Alex Dy’Buncio at the

plate. Dy’Buncio homered twice off Costelloe earlier in the game.

“That was a big at-bat,” said Costa Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister, as

Franco induced Dy’Buncio, the tying run at the plate, to tap back to the

mound on the second pitch.

Costelloe, a senior left-hander, improved to 4-1 as he walked one and

struck out two in 4 2/3 innings. He scattered seven hits.

In the Mesa sixth, Hunter jumped on a pitch for a three-run home run,

his third bomb of the year, to put the Mustangs in front, 10-4.

Hunter went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and three RBIs, while Josh

Feldman went 3 for 5 with three runs and three stolen bases. Steven

Shores added two hits for Mesa, including an RBI double in the fourth.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 10, Laguna Beach 5

Costa Mesa 150 103 0 - 10 14 2 Laguna Beach 020 200 1 - 5 9 2

Costelloe, Franco (5) and Hunter; Merz, Baumer (6), Youngstead (7) and

Baumer, Hite (6). W - Costelloe, 4-1. L - Merz. Sv - Franco, 4. 2B -

Halverson (CM), Shores (CM). HR - Hunter (CM), Dy’Buncio (LB) 2.