Prep baseball: Nick of time

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Nick Cabico’s chance to break the Costa Mesa High

single-game strikeout record came down to one batter and the Mustangs’

senior ace made the most of it. He sent away the 23rd batter he faced

(Alphonso Auelua) to notch his 14th strikeout, leading to a 5-2 victory

over Pacifica and the Costa Mesa Division title of the Newport Elks

Tournament, at the Mustangs’ field Saturday morning.

Cabico’s 14-strikeout performance, which also included seven straight

strikeouts, three walks, two hits and one run (scored off a passed ball),

bested Jeff Goettsch, who struck out 13 for the Mustangs in 1983.

“That was a great pitching performance,” Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister

said. “He had everything going for him and went out and competed after he

was a bit shaky in the first inning. He just settled down and did what he

can do, pitched the way he can pitch. I was going to pull him after the

(sixth) inning, but he wanted to go for (the record). I told him to get

one batter, and he struck out his one batter. Otherwise he would have had

to come out.”

Cabico struck out the final seven batters he faced, throwing just four

balls. He also scored a run, stole a base and nearly collected a home run

after sending a shot to the right field fence, but that was caught in the

fourth inning.

“I knew I would come out rusty,” said Cabico, who walked two and

allowed a hit to load the bases to open the first inning. “After that I

started throwing strikes. It had been a while since I was in the

bullpen.”

The Mariners (3-1) scored one run in the first inning, but Costa Mesa

(4-0) answered with three runs. With the bases loaded, Mustang senior

Kevin DeSandro, who went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, smacked a triple that

hit the left field fence.

It scored Cabico, who walked to reach base, and A.J. Perkins, who

singled. Mesa senior Mike McGuire, who went 1 for 3 with a walk and

scored two runs, bowled over Pacifica catcher Scott Tompkins in his

attempt to give DeSandro another RBI.

Costa Mesa senior catcher Mike Carrasco, batting clean-up, sent a 2-2

pitch to deep center field that produced a ground-rule double and brought

in McGuire in the third inning. McGuire, who also stole a base, scored

again in the fifth inning after DeSandro chipped a base hit to left

field.

Cabico retired the side in order in the third, fourth and sixth

innings. Pacifica hit just two balls to the outfield against Cabico, and

they were both caught by Derek Garcia in left field and McGuire in center

in the fourth inning.

“He can’t blow people away consistently with his fastball, but when he

gets his breaking ball over and we can put in a change-up for a strike,

he’s very good,” Bauermeister said of Cabico. “As hard as Nicky’s worked

in the last four years, he deserved a chance to (face one more batter and

break the record).”

Cabico was pulled after his final strikeout, and Bauermeister gave him

a hug at the mound and said, “Good job.”

Sophomore Adam Jorgenson relieved and got himself out of a

bases-loaded jam, allowing one run.

The Mustangs will face Capistrano Valley of the Foothill Division in a

fifth game of the Newport Elks Tournament Saturday. Before that, Costa

Mesa will battle La Quinta in a doubleheader Tuesday at TeWinkle Park,

starting at 3.NEWPORT ELKS TOURNAMENT

Costa Mesa Division championship game

Costa Mesa 5, Pacifica 2

Score by Innings

Pacifica 100 000 1 - 2 3 2

Costa Mesa 301 010 x - 5 6 0

Estrada, Castrey (5) and Tompkins; Cabico, Jorgenson (7) and Carrasco.

W - Cabico, 2-0. L - Estrada, 1-1. 2B - Carrasco (CM). 3B - DeSandro

(CM).