Colony clips Costa Mesa in whirlwind

Bryce Alderton

Saturday’s first-round game in the Pride of the Coast baseball

tournament pitting host Costa Mesa High and Colony presented both

coaches with plenty to contemplate. A one-run game will do that.

Costa Mesa had runners at second and third with two outs, trailing

by a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Colony reliever

Jeff Newman knocked down a come-backer with his glove and the

underhanded toss to first baseman Jonathan Brady sealed a topsy-turvy

7-6 Colony victory Saturday.

Mesa senior Daniel Cooper and Anthony Sanford each walked to begin

the drama in the seventh.

Newman, a lefty who is the Titans’ ace, struck out the next

batter, but on strike two to the following hitter, Cooper and Sanford

executed a double steal, leaving runners on second and third. Newman

struck out the batter swinging on the next pitch before getting the

aforementioned groundout.

“I’m usually not a starter, so it was definitely nerve-wracking,”

said Newman, who is 4-1 on the season and tallied his first save

Saturday. “It’s more difficult [relieving]. You don’t have as much

time to find all the pitches when you come in from the bullpen. You

have to get ready and throw strikes.”

Mesa cut the lead to 7-6 after senior Gary Gonzalez led off the

seventh with a first-pitch home run over the left-center field fence

that chased Colony starter Josh Ayala, who had thrown 100 pitches

heading into the inning.

“[Ayala] threw strikes and he got stronger as the game wore on,”

Costa Mesa Coach Doug Deats said.

Cooper struck out five while allowing three hits in four scoreless

innings before departing after the fourth and Mesa leading, 3-0. The

Mustangs used three more pitchers after Cooper.

“I would have played it differently if it wasn’t a tournament,”

Deats said of taking Cooper out. “I wanted to save Cooper for more

innings later in the week.”

The Mustangs, who fall into the consolation bracket of the 16-team

tournament that includes Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor and Estancia,

have games scheduled Monday through Wednesday.

“I did things pitching-wise I didn’t want to do, but I had to do

it,” Deats said.

The Titans (6-5-1) scored all seven of their runs in the final

three innings and took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth.

But Mesa forged a two-out rally to tie the score at 5.

Senior Alex Pisarski’s two-out double to left-center field plated

Ryan Szwast and Kyle Benson, who had both reached base with singles.

Pisarski, who started at third before relieving junior Zach Morton

on the mound in the seventh, induced Newman to fly out with the

bases-loaded to end the inning and Colony leading, 7-5. Pisarski

finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored while Gonzalez went 2

for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI.

Colony, in its second-year of existence, is made up primarily of

juniors with no seniors.

The Titans tied the score, 3-3, on Jonathan Brady’s two-out,

three-run home run in the fifth. Brady finished 2 for 4 with three

RBIs and two runs scored.

“[The Titans] got the [three-run] home run to our solo home run

and that is the difference in the game,” Deats said. “We had other

chances early in the game and left guys on.”

Mesa left seven on base, including two in the first after Pisarski

walked and scored the game’s first run.

Colony Coach Mike Sweeney, father of Kansas City Royals’ first

baseman Mike Sweeney, was relieved to walk away with the win.

“Costa Mesa is a very well-coached team that executes the

fundamentals. We are fortunate to get a win over them,” Sweeney said.

“They had [runners on base often], but our pitchers threw well and

battled back.”

Deats was also impressed with his team’s effort.

“I was pleased with our defense. [Shortstop Dylan Hunter] played

out of his mind,” Deats said. “Pisarski was nails. I was pleased with

our defense and our pitching the first four innings was outstanding.

“These tournaments at the beginning of the year and spring break

really ... it exposes the depth of the [bullpen].”

The Mustangs host Paramount at 3 p.m. Monday.

*--*

Pride of the Coast tournament First

round

Colony 7, Costa Mesa 6

Score by Innings

Colony 000 032 2 -- 7 9 3

Costa Mesa 102 002 1 -- 6 10 1

Ayala, Newman (7) and Ramirez; Cooper,

Gonzalez (5), Morton (6) Pisarski (7)

and Benson. W -- Ayala, 2-2. L --

Morton, 0-1. Sv -- Newman (1). 2B --

Ramirez (Col), Waldron (CM), Pisarski

(CM). HR -- Brady (Col), Gonzalez (CM).

*--*