Eagles’ shutout loss incites coach’s wrath

Steve Virgen

There was something different about Estancia High’s loss in baseball

Monday. For the Eagles, loss No. 9 of the 2003 season proved to be

more about a challenge than the usual type of setback the team has

suffered in the campaign.

Jon Green, Estancia’s first-year coach, was, to put it mildly, not

pleased with his players’ performance in a 5-0 nonleague loss to

visiting Los Amigos. Green was impressed with sophomore pitcher Ryan

Gleason, who ended up being the lone bright spot in the loss, Green

said.

“Our guys were not mentally into the game,” the Eagles’ coach

said. “It’s been a problem for us this season. We’re 3-9 and we have

the talent where we should have at least seven or eight wins.

“It’s a young team. We’re only going to get better. I know I’m not

going to let up in practice. Hopefully the kids will figure it out

that they do have the talent and shouldn’t let [Los Amigos] beat them

by five runs.”

The Lobos (5-7), coached by former Estancia assistant Dave Austin,

scored three runs (two unearned) in the first inning to gain the

early advantage. Los Amigos scored two runs with two out, but Gleason

eventually settled down. He allowed five hits and he struck out five.

Jesus Muniz, the Lobos’ pitcher who is also a sophomore, picked up

his second win of the season and completed his best outing, thus far,

Austin said. Muniz allowed five hits and struck out six, facing five

batters above the minimum on 89 pitches.

“This was, by far, his best outing,” said Austin, a Costa Mesa

alumnus. “I thought both pitchers did well. [Estancia] struggled a

bit, defensively. We just played a little better defense than they

did.”

Austin also said Estancia and Los Amigos are similar, and that’s

why the game came down to defense, contrary to the last time the two

teams met March 19 at Los Amigos. That’s where the Lobos defeated

Estancia, 11-5, and the Eagles produced 10 hits.

This time around, Estancia had five hits, yet held the Lobos to

five runs, thanks in most part to Gleason, who also delivered a

two-out double in the bottom of the seventh inning. But he was left

stranded.

In the fifth inning, the Eagles left two runners on, as juniors

Jose Jauregui and Ivan Paz collected base hits. Junior Eric Schaefer

also singled. His base hit came in the third inning and was the

Eagles’ first hit, as Muniz retired the first eight batters, three on

strikeouts.

“We’re prepared for every game,” Green said. “We have great

practices. I wish the parents could come out to the practices to see

what we can be all about. But, when it comes to the games, I don’t

know, no one grabs the bull by the horns. No one really seems to

enjoy the battles.

“And it’s not about just one player,” he continued. “It’s a team

game. It’s like the Angels. These kids live about 15 miles away from

the blueprint of what it takes to win. But they haven’t seemed to get

it. In the three wins we do have, that’s what they did. They played

like a team.”

The Lobos scored two more runs in the fifth inning. Los Amigos

junior Adam Sebrasky was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Then

after a groundout, senior Elias Esteban singled. With two out, senior

Jose Cardoza came up with a two-run double, putting the finishing

touches on the win for the Lobos.

In addition to Gleason, Estancia sophomore third baseman Greg

Hughes and Paz, the Eagles’ shortstop, also produced a few key

defensive plays. Hughes had three assists, including one in which he

reacted quickly to a hard-hit ball he stopped with his glove. The

ball dropped, yet he picked it up in time to make the throw to first

in the second inning.

Paz deftly gloved a groundball in the third inning and made the

throw to first to end the inning, and he also gathered in a line

drive to end the seventh inning.

“We’ll find a way to turn it around,” Green said. “I welcome the

challenge. I’ll be here everyday for practice; from the time when the

end-of-the-school-day bell rings to the end of practice.”

*--*

Nonleague

Los Amigos 5, Estancia 0

Score by Innings

LA 300 020 0 -- 5 5 1

Estancia 000 000 0 -- 0 5 3

Muniz and Mercado; Gleason and Crom. W --

Muniz, 2-2. L -- Gleason, 0-2. 2B --

Cardoza (LA), Gleason (E)

*--*