Prep baseball: Eagles sideswipe Mesa, 7-2

Barry Faulkner

COSTA MESA - His coaches and teammates call him Crash, after the

fictitious “Bull Durham” protagonist, Crash Davis. And, by pitching a

complete-game five-hitter in the Eagles’ 7-2 upset of crosstown rival

Costa Mesa Friday on the Eagles’ diamond, Estancia senior Brent Davis

slammed a figurative jackknifing big rig into Pacific Coast League

perception.

“We weren’t talking trash or anything, but we had confidence we could

win two games this week,” said Davis, who added two hits, two RBIs and

scored twice to complete an Estancia home-and-home sweep that began

Tuesday.

The two Eagle victories also clinched the perpetual Troxel Trophy, the

award named after the late Estancia and Costa Mesa coach, Paul Troxel,

that goes to the annual series winner. Costa Mesa won the first meeting,

8-0, March 16 at Estancia.

“This was the biggest week we’ve had since I’ve been here,” said

second-year Estancia Coach Doug Deats, who spent four seasons as a coach

and four more as a player on the other side of the rivalry. He still

teaches at his alma mater.

“This was a real good two games for us. This is about as well as we

can play. The kids were pumped up and focused and showed a lot of

intensity.”

It’s the first time Estancia has won the crosstown series since 1998

and the first time it has claimed the Troxel Trophy, which was originated

last season.

“This is a great rivalry and as long as these two schools play each

other, it’s going to be a hard-fought rivalry,” Deats told his players at

the brief postgame ceremony to accept the trophy. “And I’m sure Troxel is

watching.”

What anyone watching Friday witnessed was no fluke. The Eagles erased

a 1-0 deficit with two first-inning runs and were never challenged.

After yielding a leadoff single in the third inning, Davis recorded 14

outs against the next 14 hitters, allowing his offense to widen the lead

to 7-1.

A 5-4-3 double play erased that third-inning leadoff single, catcher

Justin Lund nailed a Mesa runner trying to steal third for the final out

in the fourth and, after a perfect fifth, Davis stranded a leadoff walk

at third in the sixth.

“I’m much more comfortable with no one on base,” said Davis, who did

not pitch his first three prep seasons, but was recruited for mound duty

out of necessity this spring.

“Brent has been a project, but he’s a competitor and he has competed

pretty well on the hill all season,” Deats said. “He gives you everything

he’s got.”

Davis, who struck out four and walked four, improved to 3-2.

The win improved Estancia to 5-8, 2-5 in league, while dropping the

Mustangs to 8-4-1, 3-3-1. Costa Mesa entered the week 3-1-1 in league,

tied for second with University, 1 1/2 games behind first-place Corona

del Mar. Now, Mesa is 3 1/2 games back of the Sea Kings.

Estancia, on the other hand is tied with Laguna Beach and Northwood, 1

1/2 games behind third-place Costa Mesa. And, with the return of

left-handed pitcher Jordan Hart, who missed the first round of league

after surgery to remove a cyst from his back, the Eagles have rejuvenated

hopes of earning the school’s first postseason berth since 1994.

“With (Davis and Hart, who threw a complete-game three-hitter in

Tuesday’s 6-3 win over Mesa), we have a chance,” Deats said.

Estancia produced three of its first four runs on two-out hits,

including RBI singles from Casey Gates and Davis, as well as an RBI

double by Armando Ortiz.

Eagles leadoff man J.B. Goff, who doubled to open the game and scored

to erase the Mustangs’ only lead, was 3 for 4 with two doubles and scored

three runs. He also made a nice catch in left field on a sinking line

drive.

Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk and Hart was 2 for 2 and reached his two

other plate appearances.

Estancia totaled 11 hits and committed its only error during Mesa’s

one-run seventh, when the Eagles were playing with breathing room.

“(The Eagles) pitched better, played defense better and hit better

than us,” said Mesa Coach Kirk Bauermeister, who was ejected for arguing

with the base umpire in the fourth inning and now must also sit out the

first of two crucial meetings next week with Uni (Tuesday at 7 p.m. at

TeWinkle Park).

“We need to come out and turn it around,” Bauermeister said. “We’re

just not playing very good baseball right now.”

Josh Feldman went 3 for 3 with a walk and an RBI for Mesa.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Estancia 7, Costa Mesa 2

Costa Mesa 100 000 1 - 2 5 3

Estancia 210 103 x - 7 11 1 Cabico, Costelloe (4), Haubrick (6) and Hunter; Davis and Lund. W -

Davis, 3-2. L - Cabico, 2-1. 2B - Goff (E) 2, Ortiz (E), Hart (E).