Prep baseball: Breaks go Mesa’s way

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Operating under the frequently repeated diamond

dogma: “The ball knows,” the often ill-fated Costa Mesa High baseball

team simply kept plodding and plugging through its Pacific Coast League

schedule, hopeful that, one day, the breaks would begin to even

themselves out.

The wait paid off Friday, when a successful squeeze bunt, a two-run

single by a previously unknown pinch-hitter, and a combined pitching gem

from starter Daniel Cooper and arm-weary reliever Nick Cabico, keyed a

5-3 victory over host Corona del Mar.

The win put the Mustangs (12-12, 6-7 in league) one game ahead of the

Sea Kings and tied for third place, but still a game off the pace of

third-place Laguna Beach, which knocked Northwood into a tie for first

with University.

“It was our day, no doubt about it,” said Mesa Coach Kirk

Bauermeister, who personally displayed perseverance by asking senior

Kevin DeSandro to squeeze bunt in the sixth inning, two innings after a

Mesa squeeze-bunt popup was fielded and turned into an inning ending

double play.

With the score tied, 2-2, DeSandro somehow raised his bat to meet a

pitch running in on his chest, to allow Cabico to score the go-ahead run.

Then, as if that omen weren’t positive enough for the Mustangs, junior

Robert Rodriguez, after the next two hitters had walked, was summoned to

pinch hit for his first varsity at-bat of the season.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Rodriguez, who became academically

eligible after Tuesday’s win over CdM, looped the first pitch he saw into

left-center field for a two-run single to make it 5-2.

“Robert has come to every practice and really worked hard, while he

was out,” said Bauermeister, who noted Rodriguez would have likely been

the team’s starting third baseman if his academics had been in order. “We

practice three times a week and we only play twice, so he has had plenty

of opportunity to work on his swing. We talked before the game about

sending him up, if we had a key at-bat, because we have that much

confidence in him.”

Said Rodriguez. “It was aggravating and frustrating to have to watch

the whole season, especially when I only had myself to blame. I really

felt like I let the team down, so, now that I’m back, I really wanted to

do anything I could to contribute.”

Mission accomplished.

“Robert has been working hard and he deserved it,” DeSandro said of

his teammates clutch assignment. “He’s worked hard in practice all

season. The ball knows.”

Cooper, a sophomore, allowed just two hits and two unearned runs in

five innings to improve to 2-3, while Cabico (one hit, two runs and three

stolen bases) worked the final two frames for his second save.

Nathan Hunter added an RBI for the winners, who forced CdM (10-13,

5-8) into a hopeful spoiler role next week against Laguna Beach.

“Good for (the Mustangs), they deserve it,” CdM Coach John Emme said.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa 5, Corona del Mar 3

Costa Mesa 101 003 0 - 5 3 3

Corona del Mar 020 000 1 - 3 3 1

Cooper, Cabico (6) and Hunter; Bradbury, Stockstill (6) and Karpe. W -

Cooper, 2-3. L - Bradbury. Sv - Cabico (2).