High School Baseball: Mustangs falter late once again
For the second time this week, the Costa Mesa High baseball team found itself standing toe to toe with Orange Coast League powerhouse Calvary Chapel.
On Tuesday, the Mustangs took a lead into the bottom of the seventh inning. On Friday afternoon, the teams were tied entering the seventh.
But both times, the Mustangs were unable to finish the deal.
The latest setback was a 6-4 loss for Costa Mesa on its home field. The Mustangs fell further behind in the standings as they near the halfway point in league.
Calvary Chapel (13-3, 6-0 in league) is alone in first place after Laguna Beach (5-1 in league) lost at Godinez on Friday. As for Costa Mesa (6-13, 2-5), the Mustangs fell into a fourth-place tie with the Grizzles, two games behind rival Estancia in third.
Only the top three teams in league automatically qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs. The Mustangs are trying to make the postseason for the first time since 2010.
“They just executed a little bit better than we did,” Costa Mesa Coach Paul Grady said after his team fell to 0-3 against Calvary Chapel in league. “They played a little bit better than we did. I think we’re a good baseball team. I think we can win some games [in league] ... but today they played better than we did. That’s all there is to it.”
Grady pointed to the intangibles, like bunting a runner over. With the score tied at 4-4, the Mustangs were unable to do so in the bottom of the sixth inning after James Barton was hit by a pitch leading off. Calvary Chapel reliever Braden Wallace got a full-count strikeout, then his defense backed him up. Second baseman Isaiah Lara dived to grab Dylan Schaefer’s low line drive, and was able to double the runner off first base.
Calvary Chapel broke the tie in the top of the seventh. After Robbie Haw led off with a single to center, he was bunted to second by Jacob Todd.
“They executed in situations, and we didn’t,” Grady said. “They were able to get a bunt down to get guys in scoring position, and we had certain situations. In the sixth inning, we got a man on first and nobody out, and failed to bunt him over to second. They got a man on first, nobody out, and they bunted him to second and ended up scoring two runs.”
It indeed ended up as a big inning for the Eagles. Isaiah Lee followed with a single to center.
Costa Mesa reliever Grady Conner had Calvary cleanup hitter John Portillo where he wanted him, with an 0-2 count. But after Portillo fouled one off out of play to the left, he roped the next pitch for another single up the middle to score Haw. It was the third run batted in of the game for Portillo, who had a solo home run in the fourth inning and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fifth.
The Eagles’ Patrick Glasgow followed with a sacrifice fly to right, giving the visitors their 6-4 lead. It was tough to swallow for Grady and the Mustangs, who gave up two in the bottom of the seventh on Tuesday as Calvary rallied for a 6-5 victory.
Costa Mesa tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh Friday. Conner led off by working a full-count walk, then Carter Chapman followed with a single to center. But again, the Mustangs failed to get the bunt down.
Wallace closed the deal, getting a swinging strikeout on a curveball. The next batter hit the first pitch to third base, starting a game-ending double play.
“He’s a senior,” Calvary Chapel Coach Cole Wilson said of Wallace, who improved to 3-0. “All season long him and Lara both are those guys that we go to in those pressure situations, when we need outs. They’ve gotten it done for us each time. We have all the confidence in our pitching ... our pitching and defense have been the backbone for us.”
Omar Munoz and Barton were both two for three for the Mustangs, with Barton adding a double. Miguel Rodriguez also had a hit for the Mustangs.
Barton was solid as the starting pitcher for Costa Mesa, going four innings and allowing one earned run. He struck out four and walked two.
“I wasn’t really looking to put him past the fourth inning,” Grady said, adding that Barton is coming back from a sore arm and was making just his second start. “The first couple of innings, he threw a lot of pitches, and his velocity was down a little bit. And we have plenty of pitching. We have guys that can come in, they just didn’t come in and throw strikes.”
Calvary Chapel scored two in the top of the fifth before Dominick Santos, the third reliever of the inning, got the Mustangs out of the jam. With one out, he got the batter to pop out weakly, and Mesa second baseman Ty Muir doubled up the runner at first.
The Mustangs then evened the score again with two runs in the bottom half. Munoz plated one with an RBI single to tie it at 4-4.
But again, at the end, the Mustangs failed to execute. It won’t exactly get easier, as they play against defending Orange Coast League champion Laguna Beach twice next week, starting on Tuesday at home.
“I knew coming into the season that we were going to be a much-improved team,” said Grady, whose team was fifth in league last season with a 3-11 record. “I really think our league is starting to even out. Saddleback’s getting better, Estancia and us are improving. Calvary and Laguna Beach are good, but I really think any game can be won.
“I think [playing Laguna Beach is] the same situation [as Calvary Chapel]. They’re a good baseball team, but I think we’re a good baseball team. If we execute, if we do the little things right, then we can beat them.”
Orange Coast League
Calvary Chapel 6,
Costa Mesa 4
SCORE BY INNINGS
Calvary 100 120 2 – 6 8 3
Costa Mesa 020 020 0 – 4 6 1
Haw, Greer (4), Wallace (6) and Portillo; Barton, Manning (5), Chapman (5), Santos (5), Conner (7) and Rodriguez. W – Wallace, 3-0. L – Conner. 2B – Barton (CM). HR – Portillo (CC).
Twitter: @mjszabo
