Costa Mesa sputters, falls

Bryce Alderton

In one week, the Costa Mesa High baseball team went from playing for

first place in the Golden West League to perilously clutching onto

third place in the race for the CIF Southern Section Division III

playoffs.

And, for the second straight league contest, Mesa found itself in

a pitcher’s duel that ended with the same result.

Orange junior left-hander Matt Johnson struck out six, scattered

three hits and walked just one in a complete-game, 4-1 victory over

host Mesa Wednesday.

With the win, the Panthers (9-11, 6-4 in league) nudged their way

into third place, slightly ahead of Mesa (11-10, 5-4) heading into

the final 1 1/2 weeks of the regular season.

Mesa senior starter Justin Peterson struck out seven, walked two,

allowed four hits and four runs -- all unearned -- in six innings to

take the loss. Peterson tossed a four-hitter in a 2-0 loss to Ocean

View April 28, but was victimized in the fifth inning by a two-out

error and Orange followed with all four of its runs.

Peterson, also a lefty, and Johnson each fooled hitters with

sinking curveballs and changeups, which set up their fastballs.

“In the big games, you are going to see the best pitchers. That is

all you can ask for: their No. 1 against our No. 1,” Costa Mesa Coach

Doug Deats said. “[Peterson] didn’t do too bad. [Johnson] just did a

better job.”

Johnson retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced, including the

final 12 after Andrew Sanford’s leadoff double in the fourth.

Jeff Waldron’s RBI groundout scored Sanford for Mesa’s lone run

and a brief 1-0 lead.

Mesa’s two-out error in the fifth opened the door for Orange to do

its damage.

Peterson walked Sean Nilson, the No. 2 hitter, on four pitches,

putting e Panthers at first and second.

Matt Allen then lined a curveball just past the outstretched arm

of the retreating Mesa center fielder, bringing in two runs.

Cleanup hitter Tony Welsh then slammed a two-run home run over the

left-center-field fence to cap the scoring.

“We hit the ball well against a quality pitcher,” Orange Coach

Dennis McCuistion said. “[Peterson] is probably the best in our

league. He took it to us when we played the first time [a 6-1 Mesa

victory April 2].”

Peterson lowered his ERA to 0.99 from 1.09. A second-team

all-league selection a year ago, he has allowed nine earned runs in

63 2/3 innings this spring.

Johnson didn’t start against the Mustangs in that game, but proved

his first-team all-league status of a year ago with a commanding

performance.

“[Johnson] had a good tailing fastball and hit his spots well,”

Mesa third baseman and leadoff hitter Alex Pisarski said. “He threw

the right pitches to get us off balance.”

Pisarski made a backhanded stop on Nate Montanino’s hard-hit

grounder and threw him out to end the sixth with a runner on second.

Earlier in the inning, Peterson induced a grounder to Pisarski,

which began a rundown sequence involving Orange’s Jaime Martinez

between second and third. Sanford eventually tagged out Martinez.

Mesa missed a chance to take an early lead in the second when Gary

Gonzalez and Waldron each reached base to begin the inning.

But the Mustangs couldn’t get a sacrifice bunt down and eventually

left Gonzalez at third.

“That was big that we couldn’t cash in there,” Deats said.

Santa Ana moved into a tie with Mesa for fourth place in the

league standings with a 7-4 win over Estancia Wednesday.

The top three teams automatically qualify for the Division III

playoffs.

But the Mustangs are only two games out of first since Westminster

defeated Ocean View to improve to 7-2 in league.

The Mustangs host Estancia at 3:15 p.m. Friday, then has two games

to complete the league season next week.

“This league is awesome,” Pisarski said. “Everyone is

neck-and-neck. [Wednesday’s] loss brought us down a bit. We just have

to hope the ball bounces our way. If we play our ‘A’ game, we can go

a long way.”

*--*

Golden West League

Orange 4, Costa Mesa 1

Score by Innings

Orange 000 040 0 -- 4 4 1

Mesa 000 100 0 -- 1 3 1

Johnson and Lawrence; Peterson, Cooper (7)

and Benson. W -- Johnson, 4-3. L --

Peterson, 6-4. 2B -- Allen (O), Sanford

(CM). HR -- Welsh (O).

*--*