Mustangs let one get away

Steve Virgen

Losses are sure to leave a sting, but this one really had to hurt for

the Costa Mesa High baseball team.

And it might be more painful later this season, when the Mustangs

will try to string together wins to make the CIF Southern Section

playoffs.

Costa Mesa left 13 runners on base, including the bases loaded in

the third and fourth innings, and lost its Golden West League season

opener, 4-3, in eight innings to visiting Saddleback Wednesday.

“No doubt this loss hurts us,” Costa Mesa Coach Doug Deats said.

“This one will bite us in the rear end later in the season.”

Saddleback (3-5) scored what proved to be the winning run in the

top of the eighth, as the Roadrunners led off the inning with a

double by pinch-hitter Richard Romo, who later scored on a Danny

Gomez base hit.

The Mustangs (2-5) also led off the eighth with a double, coming

from sophomore designated hitter Alex Dominguez, who sent a shot deep

to the right-field corner. But Saddleback turned away Costa Mesa once

again.

“We knew what we wanted to do,” Deats said. “We had [13] guys left

on base. Somewhere we have to get a clutch hit and score him or we

won’t win games.

“I’m very disappointed in the way we played,” he said.

Deats did point out Costa Mesa played well defensively and pitcher

Daniel Cooper contributed an admirable performance, rebounding from a

shaky first inning.

After striking out the first batter and inducing a groundout,

Cooper allowed three runs on three hits and two walks. But after

that, Cooper retired the next 15 batters before Aldo Cano hit an

infield single. However he was later caught stealing as Mustang

junior Kyle Benson threw him out in the sixth inning.

Costa Mesa responded to Saddleback’s three-run first with three

runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning, sparked by Alex

Pisarski’s single, followed by walks to Justin Peterson and Gary

Gonzalez to load the bases.

Cooper followed with a two-run single and Andrew Sanford collected

an RBI with a groundout that brought in Gonzalez. But the Mustangs

were left frustrated and with regret after the third and fourth

innings.

In the third, Costa Mesa had the bases loaded with no outs, but a

strikeout and a double play followed. Then in the fourth inning, the

Mustangs had the bases juiced, this time with one out. But a line

drive to the shortstop and a groundout resulted.

“Our pitchers just really bore down in those situations,”

Saddleback Coach John Young said. “They mostly got in trouble because

of walks, but the pitchers really made the difference by stepping up.

We also led off the eighth inning with a double and we were able to

bring him across.”

Saddleback’s Jake Chappel improved to 2-0, grabbing his second in

relief as he pitched the final four innings. Cooper dropped to 1-3.

He struck out eight and allowed five hits and two walks.

*--*

Golden West League

Saddleback 4, Costa Mesa 3, 8 innings

Score by Innings

S’back 300 000 01 -- 4 5 1

Mesa 300 000 00 -- 3 8 0

Gomez, Chappel (5) and DeLeon; Cooper and

Benson. W -- Chappel, 2-0. L -- Cooper,

1-3. 2B -- Romo (S), Cooper (CM), Sanford

(CM), Dominguez (CM).

*--*