Joey Cantarella

Steve Virgen

On the surface, they were two meaningless games in the Pride of the

Coast baseball tournament.

But whenever it’s time to play baseball, Joey Cantarella is game.

He will not back down. He has a strong love for baseball and has

intensified his effort this season, mainly because it is his senior

year for the Newport Harbor High baseball team.

Cantarella, the Sailors’ ace who has also been the Tars’ most

consistent hitter this season, has also been motivated by his

teammates, who have gained confidence and believe a CIF Southern

Section playoff berth is within reach.

“Our team has been playing hard,” said Cantarella, the Daily Pilot

Athlete of the Week. “Winning has really pushed us. We are really

working together.”

In tightly contested games against Paramount and Estancia,

Cantarella depended on the Sailors’ desire to win. Cantarella

displayed a refuse-to-lose attitude and came up with clutch play in

leading the Sailors to one-run victories over Paramount and Estancia

in the Pride of the Coast tournament last week.

He came up with a key defensive play when the Sailors defeated

Paramount, 6-5, in 12 innings and he delivered a four-hit,

10-strikeout, complete-game outing in the Tars’ 2-1 victory over

Newport-Mesa district rival Estancia.

“He’s a competitor,” Newport Coach Joel Desguin said. “He just

seems to get the job done. Whether it’s in practice or game

situations, he hates to lose and does whatever needs to get done.”

Cantarella demonstrated moxie throughout the tournament,

especially in the Newport Harbor victories. With Paramount up to bat

in the top of the 12th inning, Cantarella, playing in left field,

threw out a runner attempting to score from second base after his

teammate’s base hit.

The Sailors scored a run in the bottom of the 12th to end the

game. Cantarella went 3 for 5 and added two runs and a stolen base in

the win.

Against Estancia, in addition to taming the Eagles, he provided a

two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the third inning.

However, he nearly let his pitching win slip away from him in the

sixth inning. With a runner on first and two outs, he allowed a base

hit and then threw eight straight balls, which loaded the bases and

then brought in a run. But Cantarella shook out his funk and got out

of the jam by inducing a groundout.

“I love being in those type of situations when you have to get

that last out,” Cantarella said. “It’s a great feeling to know if you

get that one more out, you can get the win for the team.”

With a 6-foot and 160-pound frame, Cantarella does not seem all

that imposing on the mound, but as his coach said, he gets the job

done. He has struck out 42 batters in 44 innings. Heading into this

week’s action he had a 2.08 ERA in 37 innings.

Cantarella has credited his solid work on the mound to his

off-season work and the addition of pitching coach Jim Kiefer, a

former head man of the Sailors.

While his relationship with Kiefer has produced positive results,

Cantarella has had rocky encounters with Desguin the past three

seasons. But that’s only because the coach has been pushing the

player to reach his potential.

Cantarella understands his coach’s desire and has been meeting

Desquin’s needs this season.

“He has matured tremendously and he has worked hard in the past

two years,” Desguin said. “He’s a fun kid to be around. He’s just

doing really good for us. I could put him at any position and I will

feel comfortable with that.”

Cantarella plans to play at Orange Coast College next year when he

aims to bring his same game to the Pirates.