High School Softball: Strong start for Costa Mesa

The reputation of Costa Mesa High freshman softball player Katie Belmontes preceded her stepping onto the diamond.

“Katie’s a travel-ball girl,” Mustangs Coach Heather Orduna said Saturday. “We’ve heard a lot about Katie. Today was kind of the day to see for ourselves.”

Orduna had to like what she saw in Mesa’s first game of the season, as it opened the Costa Mesa tournament against Santa Ana. Who wouldn’t, after Belmontes smacked two inside-the-park home runs and had five runs batted in as Costa Mesa posted a 15-5 win at TeWinkle Park.

The Mustangs later fell to University, 13-5, in their second pool-play game. But overall it was a positive start to the season for Costa Mesa, which offers an intriguing blend of young talent and experience.

Rival Estancia also split its first two pool-play games. The Eagles lost to Ocean View but rebounded for a 6-5 win over Century.

Corona del Mar had a tougher draw and a tougher day. The Sea Kings lost to Beckman, 22-0, before falling to Ocean View, 23-0.

Belmontes had herself a day for Costa Mesa. She finished the Mustangs’ two games a combined four for six with the two home runs and a triple. Against Santa Ana, she also made a standout catch in center field and doubled the runner off first base.

The home runs came in the third and fourth inning, respectively. The first was a shot down the left-field line that got past the left fielder. The second was even more impressive, as she hit the ball near the “250 foot” sign in center field. But after the game, she was modest about her feats.

“I guess it was good,” Belmontes said. “I didn’t really worry about it. I didn’t think about it. It kind of just happened.”

Senior catcher and co-captain Anessa Farldow had a key two-run double in the third inning for Mesa. The Mustangs brought 16 players to the plate and scored 11 runs as Santa Ana’s pitcher battled control issues. Costa Mesa drew five walks in the inning, and was also hit by the pitch twice.

Other players who had hits in the game included Paige Fisher and Valerie Castro. Freshman Haley Wolf pitched the complete game, as she did in the second game against University.

“She comes to us with some pitching experience,” Orduna said. “Our pitcher last year [Ariana Morales] graduated, so it’s nice to have some fresh blood in there. We have a couple of girls working behind her, and hopefully with having some other girls throw, she’ll be more supported by her teammates on the mound. Paige Fisher, Valerie Castro and Haley Sheffner have all been working at pitcher and hopefully will see some innings in the next couple of weeks.”

Costa Mesa fell into a 13-1 hole against University in the fifth and final inning, but responded. Fisher led off the inning with an infield single, and she was brought home by a triple to the gap in left-center by junior shortstop Brenna Alvis. Alvis then scored on a single to left by senior first baseman and co-captain Jasmine Herrera.

Belmontes followed with an RBI triple to center, and a sacrifice fly by senior Jane Montoya brought home the fourth run of the inning. The rally fizzled there, however.

Kintak Keju led the offensive charge against University, as she was two for three with a triple.

“I think they mentally struggled in the middle part of the game,” said Orduna, whose team made six errors against University. “But when we stopped worrying about the score and it was just about getting on base, they were able to really pull it together. If they had been able to play with that fight the whole game, I have no doubt that we could have come away with a win.”

The Mustangs resume the tournament next Saturday when they play CdM at 11 a.m. First, they play the Sea Kings in a nonleague game, on Wednesday at the CdM field.

The team goal is advancing to CIF, Farldow said. The Mustangs got close last year, finishing tied for third in league with Estancia before the Eagles routed them in a tiebreaker game. Costa Mesa has not advanced to the postseason since 2011.

“Compared to last year, I feel like we’ve made a big improvement playing as a team, and winning and losing as a team too,” Farldow said. “I feel like we’ve made a lot of progress. We’ve stepped up our game a lot. We’re a growing team, and each year it’s getting stronger and stronger. We have more confidence than we did last year.”

For Estancia, Emily Kubisty was two for three with an RBI in the 6-5 win over Century, and Kalena Shepherd had a hit and two walks. Brittany Walker pitched the complete game, striking out four.

CdM’s Brooke Franson and Lauren Oberreiter each had hits against Ocean View. The Sea Kings (0-3) are young this year, with just one senior in Sylvana Barrios and two juniors (Franson and Oberreiter).

CdM Coach Carly Smith said the team is looking forward to sophomore Mallory McCrane becoming eligible in early April. McCrane, a transfer from Berkeley, is a lefty slap-hitter and can pitch and play the outfield.

“Just like Syd,” Smith said, referencing CdM’s 2014 and ’15 Newport Mesa Player of the Year Sydney McKeown, who is now at Ole Miss.