Mission masters Mustangs

Bryce Alderton

The “pitching by committee” philosophy implemented by Costa Mesa High

baseball coach Doug Deats didn’t quite go according to plan Tuesday,

especially if wins and losses are any measure.

The Mustangs fell to visting Mission Viejo, 9-2, in a Pride of the

Coast Tournament consolation quarterfinal. The Mustangs suffered

their second straight tournament loss. It was a makeup game from

Monday when all contests were postponed due to rain.

“With our game schedule [today] up in the air, I wanted to go with

a committee for this one,” Deats said when asked why he used six

pitchers in the seven-inning affair. Deats arrived at a field

saturated with pools of water at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. But, with the

help of his staff and players, along with the sun provided by Mother

Nature, the Mustangs (5-9) and Diablos (8-6) were able to go at it

without waddling in the mire.

The Mustangs may have wished they had some sludge to slow down a

Mission Viejo offense that tallied nine hits, including two home

runs.

“We haven’t been swinging great, but our guys all have the

potential to be good at the plate,” Mission Viejo Coach Chris Ashbach

said. “We’ve been up and down with our lineup, but we swung the bat

well today. It was our best effort as a team at the plate.”

In stark contrast to Mesa’s litany of pitchers, Mission Viejo used

just two hurlers to record the win. Making only his second start of

the season, Cody Hicks limited the Mustangs to two runs on four hits

and struck out nine in five innings. Senior left-hander Taylor

Bennett came on work a scoreless final two innings, striking out

three.

The 12 strikeouts is a season-high for Mesa.

“Hicks had a good fastball and breaking ball,” Deats said.

Shortstop Alex Pisarski went 2 for 3 and was the only Mustang to

collect two hits. Third baseman Robert Rodriguez, designated hitter

Gary Gonzalez and center fielder Adam Beltran each singled once as

the Mustangs failed to manage any extra-base hits.

Such was not the case with Mission Viejo, which tallied two

doubles and a couple of two-run home runs. The switch-hitting Jeff

Cullen, hitting from the right side in the third inning, sent a 1-1

pitch over the left-field fence to give Mission Viejo a 4-1 lead. In

the next inning, center fielder Clark Hardman belted a towering shot

over the right-field fence.

Mission Viejo scored two runs each in innings 2-5 to pad its lead

to 8-1 before Beltran scored from third on a wild pitch, on ball four

to catcher Nate Hunter in the fifth inning. Mesa mustered its only

legitimate rally in the fifth.

Rodriguez’s single moved Hunter to second, setting the stage for

Gonzalez, who promptly sent a bullet up the middle into center field.

Hardman came up with the ball and rifled it to catcher Matt Galati,

who applied the tag on Hunter.

“I wanted [Hardman] to have to make a play and he did,” said Deats

about the decision to send Hunter. “I gambled and we lost.”

Much of Mesa’s misery Tuesday could be attributed to six errors,

compared to none for Mission Viejo.

Junior Daniel Cooper made his second start Tuesday for Mesa and

retired the side in order in the first.

Justin Peterson, Beltran, Gonzalez, George Vargas and Pisarski all

saw action on the mound. Pisarski allowed no runs in the seventh and

tallied one strikeout. Beltran and Gonzalez each struck out one.

Mesa hosts Santiago today at noon in a 13th-place semifinal.

*--*

Pride of the Coast Tournament

Consolation quarterfinal Mission Viejo 9,

Costa Mesa 2

Score by Innings

M. Viejo 022 221 0 -- 9 9 0

Mesa 010 010 0 -- 2 5 6

Hicks, Bennett (6) and Galati, Fadley (7);

Cooper, Peterson (3), Beltran (4), Gonzalez

(5), Vargas (6), Pisarski (7) and Hunter. W

-- Hicks, 1-1. L -- Cooper, 0-2. 2B --

Cullen (MV), Greer (MV). HR -- Cullen (MV),

Hardman (MV)

*--*