Prep baseball: Estancia tames the Mustangs

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - As the timeworn cliche goes, the third time’s the

charm. And pitcher C.K. Green was Prince Charming for Estancia High’s

baseball team.

Green pitched a complete game to lift his Eagles past cross-town and

Pacific Coast League rival Costa Mesa, 4-3, Friday at TeWinkle Park.

“Any time you can beat your cross-town rival is a reason to be happy,”

Estancia Coach Doug Deats said.

By virtue of two 3-2 wins against the Eagles earlier this year, the host

Mustangs were awarded the first annual Troxel Memorial Trophy in honor of

the late Paul Troxel, who coached at both Mesa and Estancia.

“We’re obviously happy to have the trophy,” Costa Mesa Coach Kirk

Bauermeister said, “but it would have been even nicer to have this game

too.”

But Green made sure Mesa (6-8-1, 3-3 in league) stayed mired in a

three-way tie for second in the PCL. He gave up one base runner per

inning for the first five frames, giving up just two hits.

“I knew my game was on tonight,” Green said.

While Green was doing his job on the mound, Mesa starter Nick Cabico was

equal to the task. The Eagles (4-9, 1-5) tallied one hit off Cabico in

his five innings of work, a leadoff single by Armando Ortiz.

Despite his one-hit masterpiece, Cabico stood to be the losing pitcher

when he left in the fifth inning, due to an unearned run.

Estancia catcher Brent Davis and Matt Mueller reached on consecutive Mesa

errors to lead off the fifth. After the next two batters were retired,

Estancia’s Justin Lund walked, as did Ortiz to force home Davis.

The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth. Green led off with a

single and was sacrificed to second by David Akiva. After Davis walked,

Mueller singled in Green.

Mesa finally touched Green for a run in the sixth, albeit unearned.

Estancia committed three errors in that inning. The first one allowed

Josh Little to reach first, and another one put him at third. Steven

Shores then hit a bloop single to score Little.

“Our pitching has been pretty good all year long,” Deats said. “We just

kick it a little in the field and that’s been our Achilles’ heel.”

But the Eagles extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh. A balk scored

Lund, then Green singled in Ortiz. Mesa left fielder Jeremiah Haubrick

ended Estancia’s inning by doubling up a runner at first after catching a

fly ball.

After Green retired the first two batters in the seventh, things got

hairy. After Daniel Hunter and Little singled to keep Mesa alive,

Estancia committed a run-scoring error on what would have been the final

out. Shores then got his second RBI single of the day and he represented

the winning run.

“I went out and asked C.K. if he was OK to finish the game,” Deats said,

“and he said, ‘Yes.’ ”

“I just knew I had to throw the ball over the plate,” Green said, “and

let my teammates behind me take care of it.”

And they did, as the next Mesa batter flied out to end the game.

“It was a little bit of C.K., as well as us not making enough plays,”

Bauermeister said. “But you have to tip your hat to C.K. He pitched a

great game.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Estancia 4, Costa Mesa 3

Estancia 000 011 2 - 4 6 4

Costa Mesa 000 001 2 - 3 6 2

Cabico, Franco (6) and Fajardo; Green and Davis. W - Green, 3-4. L -

Franco, 1-1. 2B - Lund (E).