Costa Mesa softball, without coach, exits CIF playoffs
Costa Mesa’s softball team celebrated its first league championship in 21 years a week ago.
The Mustangs suffered a season-ending defeat to visiting Pasadena Mayfield 7-3 on Thursday, and they were surely left wondering what had happened to their head coach.
Coach Doug Deats was absent from the game, and school and Newport-Mesa district officials declined to comment when asked for more information on the matter.
In a phone interview after the game, Deats stated that he was placed on administrative leave the day of the game.
“At noon, I was called into the principal’s office, and I was put on administrative leave,” Deats said Thursday evening. “I have no reason why I’m on administrative leave. They didn’t give me a reason. They just said I was under investigation. I asked if I could at least talk to the team, and I was refused the opportunity to talk to the team.”
Deats, an economics teacher who has also been involved with the baseball and football programs in his 31 years at Costa Mesa High, said he felt bad that the players did not have a familiar face in the dugout with them for their postseason contest.
“Whether we would have won or not, if we didn’t win, I should have had the opportunity to talk to those kids and explain what a great year they had and everything they accomplished,” Deats added. “They haven’t won a [league title] in 21 years. ... It’s always hard in playoffs because most of the time, you lose your last game. That’s championship softball, and the kids are sad, and they are hurting.”
Costa Mesa (14-6), the Orange Coast League champion, surrendered four runs in the third inning to fall behind 5-1.
Sydnie Pulido doubled and scored in the second for the Mustangs. Victoria Rios scored on a two-out double by Jaidyn Soldin in the third. Isabella Gonzalez doubled and came home on an infield single by Rios in the fifth, capping the scoring for Costa Mesa.
Rios, the center fielder, also threw out a runner at the plate for a double play in the top of the fifth.
Todd Young, the school’s athletic director, served as acting head coach for the Mustangs.
“They were just tickled pink, so excited,” Young said of the feeling around the school after the Mustangs secured a rare league championship. “Just a great feeling. They were loving it. I wish we could have built that momentum into playoff wins, but it didn’t work out.”
Also in the CIF Southern Section softball playoffs:
Huntington Beach 8, Eastvale Roosevelt 7 (eight innings): Tea Gutierrez had two hits, three runs batted in and two runs scored to lead the Oilers on Thursday in a Division 1 wildcard round game at home.
Cali Bennett had two hits and two runs scored for Huntington Beach (17-7), which plays at Riverside Poly (24-2-2) on Tuesday.
Maleah Humble dropped down a squeeze bunt to score Willow Kellen for the game-winning run in extra innings. Morgan Drotter had two runs batted in, and Zoe Prystajko also drove in a run for the Oilers.
Capistrano Valley 4, Marina 2: Senior first baseman Rylee Gonzalez and sophomore second baseman Gabby DiBenedetto drove in the runs for the host Vikings on Thursday in a Division 1 wildcard round game.
Sophomore pitcher Mia Valbuena struck out a dozen in a complete game for Marina (17-10-1), which was the fourth-place team in the Sunset League this season.
Capistrano Valley (21-6) advances to play at top-seeded Orange Lutheran (18-3) on Tuesday.
Burbank Providence 6, Ocean View 5: The visiting Seahawks surrendered the tying and game-winning runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on Thursday in the first round of the Division 5 playoffs.
Delailah Lopez had three runs batted in for Prep League champion Providence (20-2), which plays at Mission Valley League champion South El Monte (20-5-2) on Tuesday. Mia Allinson also had two RBIs.
Ocean View (13-12) was the third-place team in the Golden West League this season.
Los Amigos 1, Panorama City 0: The Lobos held an opponent scoreless for the fifth time this season on Thursday in the first round of the Division 7 playoffs at home.
Los Amigos (14-6) plays host to Fontana A.B. Miller (14-6) in the second round on Tuesday.
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