Defense strong for Mesa in loss

Bryce Alderton

If the hosts of ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight” program could take plays

from Little League games for their nightly highlight reel of the

day’s best defensive plays, then Costa Mesa’s Pony 13 and 14-year-old

baseball All-Star team would have some definite candidates after

their game Tuesday against Rancho Trabuco at Amerige Park.

Third baseman Kane Curran and outfielders Taylor McClanahan and

Trevor McDonald made some “all-star” style plays in the field in the

South Coast Region District 3 Pony Baseball Tournament game won by

Rancho Trabuco, 10-0.

Curran made two “Web gems,” as the hosts on “Baseball Tonight”

like to call the defensive plays of the day in Major League Baseball.

In the first he dove to his left to snare a hard-hit grounder and

threw to first to end the inning and came up big with the glove again

in the fourth.

He fielded Jeff Cusick’s ground ball, stepping on third for the

force and throwing to first for the double play to end the inning.

Left fielder McClanahan started forward, then quickly backpedaled

two steps to catch a fly ball in the third, and right fielder Trevor

McDonald ran backwards, battling the sun, to catch a fly ball to end

the fifth.

“Those were awesome,” said Costa Mesa Manager Dave Pisarski,

referring to his team’s stellar glove work.

“We just didn’t hit and we had a couple plays where the ball got

by and they scored a run here and a run there. They weren’t

overpowering. We just didn’t make contact.”

Costa Mesa managed three hits to Rancho Trabuco’s seven. Rancho

Trabuco batters walked eight times and four runners scored on passed

balls.

Rancho Trabuco Manager Mike Guerin stresses activity on the base

paths and it paid off for his team.

Rancho Trabuco runners stole eight bases, keeping Costa Mesa

pitchers Evan Vangeem and Mike McDaniels on alert.

“We like to run, we’ve got aggressive kids,” Guerin said.

Rancho Trabuco scored at least a run in every inning, scoring two

runs in both the first and second, one each in the third and fifth

and four in the fourth.

Costa Mesa had a chance to turn a double play with runners on

first and second and one out in the fourth. Jon Trujillo hit a ground

ball to second baseman Skylar Cozad who tossed it to shortstop Jordan

Kalke, but Garrett Wood beat the throw.

A single by the next batter, Kevin Tamanaha, scored three runs and

a passed ball allowed Rancho Trabuco to score its fourth run of the

inning.

Costa Mesa advanced a runner to second base only once, as Cozad

reached in the first after singling with one out.

But Rancho Trabuco starting pitcher Hunter Jackson struck out two

of the next three Costa Mesa batters to retire the side, after

giving up a single to Kalke.

Jackson and reliever Wood threw a combined 56 pitches, recording

seven strikeouts and walking two between them.

“Seven (strikeouts) in a game will hurt you,” Pisarski said. “We

just let the ball get away from us in the field. But everyone’s

trying. Van Geem pitched strong for the first three innings.”

Van Geem allowed three hits while striking out two.

Tim Morley went 1 for 1 with a walk for Costa Mesa, who next plays

Thursday at 5 p.m. against either Dana Point