Baseball: Mustangs thrown by Uni, 12-1

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - As the Pacific Coast League season gets underway, the

gap between defending league champion University High and young Costa

Mesa became all too apparent Tuesday.

The Trojans pounded out 12 runs in five innings, wrapping up a 12-1 mercy

rule decision over the host Mustangs.

“They’re an experienced team with a lot of experienced players, while

we’re a young team that came out scared of them,” Costa Mesa Coach Kirk

Bauermeister said. “We came out tentative, and we made tentative

mistakes.”

Uni broke the game wide open in the second inning, scoring seven times

and going through two Mesa pitchers. The Trojans culminated their barrage

with back-to-back-to-back home runs from Matt Stone, who hit a three-run

blast, Kevin Conlin, whose shot barely stayed inside the right field foul

pole, and Jay Nichols. The third homer extended University’s lead to 8-1.

The Mustangs (3-3-1, 1-1 in league) did not help themselves. Four Mesa

errors led to three unearned runs. The Trojans needed 11 hits in scoring

12 times.

“We need to play with more intensity and aggressiveness,” Bauermeister

said. “Our kids were afraid to play and made too many errors. They must

work through that.”

Mesa had five hits for the entire game, three in the fourth when it

scored its only run. Mesa shortstop Billy Halverson hit a bouncer right

in front of the plate that was unfieldable. That drove in Josh Little,

who reached on a single, from third for the Mustangs’ only score.

But Mesa never had a batter reach three balls, and Uni (7-3, 1-0) pitcher

Matt Gamble only threw 58 pitches in picking up the win.

After Uni’s scoring output, Mesa reliever Jeremy Haubrick pitched the

final three innings, giving up three earned runs.

Senior Lyle Yourex and Carlos Franco had the other two hits for the

Mustangs with singles. Halverson went 2 for 2 with the team’s only RBI.

Mesa didn’t strike out against Uni.

For Uni, Stone and Nichols each had four RBIs. Nichols went 3 for 4, with

a double and home run.

“We were hoping after our first two league games to be 1-1,” said

Bauermeister. “And we accomplished that. We also have a lot of things to

work on, and as the season goes along, this team will get a lot better.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Costa Mesa, University

Score by innings

University 171 03 - 12 11 3 Costa Mesa 000 10 - 1 5 4

Gamble and Wood; Graves, Shores (2), Haubrick (3) and Fajardo. W -

Gamble; L - Graves, 0-2. 2B - Nichols (U), Cumisky (U). HR - Stone (U),

Conlin (U), Nichols (U).