Mesa All-Stars pull off stunner

FULLERTON — Three days before facing a team that had mercied them less than a month ago, the 13-year-old All-Stars of the Costa Mesa Pony Division had the best practice of the season.

Costa Mesa Manager Kirk Stone watched as his players were aggressive with the bat and precise with the glove during that practice. But that wasn’t totally stood out. The all-stars were also showing confidence.

“They were playing like they wanted to be there,” Stone said. “They were playing like they were saying, ‘I dare you to hit the ball to me.’ ”

Granted it was practice, but the attitude carried over to Sunday at Amerige Park in Fullerton. That’s where the Costa Mesa All-Stars upset Newport Harbor Baseball Assn., 4-3, to open the Pony District Tournament.

NHBA defeated Costa Mesa, 11-1, in six innings on June 9.

But it was a different story on Sunday, right from the start. Costa Mesa scored three runs in the top of the first inning and A.J. McLuckey retired the side in order in the bottom of the frame.

“We came out flat and we were tired,” NHBA Manager Jim Lawson said. “It’s very uncharacteristic of this team. We had been playing so well. It’s really disappointing.”

The NHBA 13-year-old All-Stars won the Los Alamitos tournament title on Thursday. It was the third time in four tournaments they earned the right to play in a tourney championship game.

They reached the final of the Dana Point tournament, but could not play in it because it was also on Sunday.

Instead they played once, but it was Costa Mesa looking like a champion, benefiting from four straight hits to open the game.

Because of its effort, Costa Mesa remains in the championship bracket and will face Fountain Valley in the double-elimination tournament today at 5 p.m. at Amerige Park

Martin Myszynski, Kannon Stone, Alex Trancoso and McLuckey started the Costa Mesa first-inning run with their singles, McLuckey’s was for an RBI. Yet later with two outs and the bases loaded, it appeared Costa Mesa would have to settle for just one run in the first inning.

But then came Kevin Carvajal, who put the ball in play with a drive to left field. That led to an error, scoring Stone and Trancoso.

NHBA pitcher Brett Parker ended the inning, inducing a groundout.

Parker, who gave up one earned run, pitched a complete game. He allowed just two hits and no runs over the last four innings.

In the third inning, Trancoso, who reached on a walk, scored on Steven Hildenbrand’s single. That made it, 4-1. But Costa Mesa’s victory wasn’t really about offense.

There were at least three key defensive plays that helped Costa Mesa to the win.

“We didn’t have one superstar,” said Stone, whose team also had JT Goldfarb and Forest Baker contributing. “If there was a game ball for this game I wouldn’t have one guy to give it to. But that’s what baseball is all about.”

Though Costa Mesa apparently did not have a standout, Stone was thoroughly impressed with relief pitcher Brody Henscheid, who did not play until the sixth inning.

Henscheid struck out the first batter he faced and then he retired the side in order to end the game.

“Brody was awesome,” Stone said. “I kept asking him if he was ready and he kept saying, yes. And he was.”

Cort Hastings had an RBI for NHBA, driving in Brett Thompson in the second inning.

Allen Brown and Thompson singled and scored a run each in the sixth, and Max Richley had an RBI.

The NHBA All-Stars, who also include Brent Lawson, Eric Kiehnle, Andrew McCormack, Ryan Banning and Brandon Zelner, play against Cypress in an elimination game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Amerige Park.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or at steve.virgen@latimes.com.