Mesa bows out in wild card

COSTA MESA — The banner, taped on the top of the bleachers behind the backstop, stared down at John Glenn High’s Tony Gomez on the mound.

Gomez, cheeks painted in black like some intimidating professional wrestler, stared right back.

The words “will DOMINATE CIF” so accurate of how the left-hander pitched against Costa Mesa Tuesday.

The banner was for the Mustangs, but it seemed meant for Gomez in the fifth inning on his way to recording a perfect game, the school’s first.

Gomez eventually lost the perfect game, but never control of the game.

The senior struck out seven and allowed only three hits as the Eagles beat the Mustangs, 7-2, ending Costa Mesa’s season in the wild-card round of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs.

“He was as advertised,” Costa Mesa Coach Jim Kiefer said. “I told the kids it’s disappointing. You lose your last three [Orange Coast League] games, you lose your playoff game.”

Costa Mesa (15-13) fell apart down the stretch, first costing itself its first league championship in 31 years.

Now the Mustangs just dropped their second straight wild-card game at home. They have three runs to show for the two appearances.

Costa Mesa broke up Gomez’s perfect game in the bottom of the fifth on Nick Pederson’s double. By then, the game already belonged to Glenn (15-10).

The only decision for Glenn third-year coach David Cruz was to let Gomez (8-4) go the distance, or save him for the first round at South Hills (19-5) Friday.

The way Gomez threw, dropping in his curveball for strikes and effectively mixing up speeds, Cruz felt Gomez earned the right to finish.

“It was a nice game to watch,” said Cruz, coaching for the first time in the playoffs.

The game began nicely for Cruz.

Costa Mesa starter Tyler Peterson looked uncomfortable from the start, as if the right-hander was trying to eat at the kitchen table with a handful of left-handers.

Glenn had plenty of left-handed bats. The first of four lefties led off and set the tone early.

Jose Reyes worked the count after falling behind 1-2. With a full count, he belted a solo home run to right-center field. The Eagles wildly celebrated in the dugout. Finally a run, something they couldn’t manufacture in three of the last five regular-season games in the competitive Suburban League.

“We had two different teams this season,” said Cruz of the team’s hitting woes compared to the first part of the season, when they averaged 11 hits, the same amount Glenn collected Tuesday.

Against the other three lefties, Peterson (7-4) found a way to record outs. The last one with the bases loaded, Peterson struck out Gomez, getting out of the inning allowing only two runs.

The first inning took a toll on Peterson. He went into the second having thrown 32 pitches. He lost his control against three lefties after the first batter popped up, as he walked two and in between gave up an infield single to load the bases again.

This time Peterson didn’t get the chance to get out of the jam.

“It just got away from him,” Kiefer said.

Andrew Millian came on in relief and mowed down the clean-up hitter on five pitches.

But on the senior’s next pitch, Marc Gomez hit it up the middle, alluding shortstop Mikey Molina’s glove to drive in two runs and make it Glenn, 4-0.

The Eagles never looked back. With their southpaw on the mound, they had no reason to worry about a comeback.

CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs

Wild-card game

John Glenn 7, Costa Mesa 2

SCORE BY INNINGS

T. Gomez and Medina; Peterson, Millian (2) and Hirsch. W – T. Gomez, 8-4. L – Peterson, 7-4. 2B – S. Sanchez (JG), A. Gomez (JG), Pederson (CM). HR – Reyes (JG).

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.