Prep baseball: Costa Mesa falls, 12-4

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - Costa Mesa High Coach Kirk Bauermeister has said, when

the Mustangs baseball team plays well it can play with anyone, and if it

plays bad ...

Well, Saturday appeared to be one of those times when things went

badly for the Mustangs. They allowed four unearned runs and were held

scoreless for five innings in a 12-4 loss to Mountain View in the first

round of the Pride of the Coast Tournament Saturday, at Mesa’s field.

The Mustangs (6-7) built a 3-0 lead after collecting three hits in the

bottom of the first inning. Nick Cabico, who finished with a double, two

walks and two runs scored, used some smart base running to post Mesa’s

first run. He reached on a walk. Cabico advanced to second and then third

on Adam Beltran’s base hit, mainly because Cabico got a quick jump before

Beltran’s single.

Cabico then scored when Mountain View’s pitcher threw out Beltran

going to second after Nathan Hunter put the ball into play.

Hunter later scored on Michael McGuire’s single. And, McGuire scored

after catcher Mike Carrasco walked with the bases loaded.

However, the Mountain View Vikings, winners of their last seven,

outscored the Mustangs, 12-1, the rest of the way. Mountain View used a

four-run fifth, that included back-to-back home runs to grab control of

the game.

“We came out a little sluggish, but we never gave into them,” said

Vikings Coach Ted Persell, whose team is 5-0 in the Mission Valley

League. “We broke it open with those two home runs and that really killed

their momentum. We also took advantage of some of their mistakes. We came

in here knowing if we win this tournament and win our league then that’s

going to get our name out there; that we’re one of the top teams in the

San Gabriel Valley.”

Mountain View, which finished third in the Mission Valley League last

year, losing just two senior starters to graduation, also scored five

runs in the seventh to secure the win.

The Mustangs answered with one run in the bottom of the final frame.

Cabico scored after a double to the left field corner, a stolen base and

then took advantage of a Mountain View error to cross home plate.

“They battled,” Persell said of the Mustangs. “They never gave up. You

can see that they play with momentum. They don’t strike out very much.

They make contact and they make you work defensively.”

Beltran, Hunter, McGuire, Kevin De Sandro, A.J. Perkins and Adam

Jorgenson finished with one hit each.

Costa Mesa pitcher George Vargas went the distance, striking out six

and retiring the side in order in the first, second and sixth innings.

The Mustangs host Pacifica Monday at 2 p.m.

PRIDE OF THE COAST TOURNAMENT

First round

Mountain View 12, Costa Mesa 4 Mountain View 001 240 5 - 12 13 2

Costa Mesa 300 000 1 - 4 7 4

Jacobo and Hernandez; Vargas and Carrasco. W - Jacobo. L - Vargas. 2B

- Angulo (MV), Caranza (MV), V. Peinado (MV), Cabico (CM). HR - Hernandez

(MV), P. Peinado (MV).