Staff Writer
Despite a season of coaching uncertainties and a rocky start to the season, the Mira Costa baseball team has defied odds and advanced to the third round of CIF.
The Mustangs defeated Quartz Hill High School, 4-2, at home on Tuesday. The Mustangs’ overall record is now 22-11 and 7-3 in Bay League.
“We worked together and helped out our pitchers,” senior left fielder Kevin Lopez said. “It was a team win.”
The Mustangs will play again today against Bishop Amat Memorial High School in an away game at Bishop Amat.
“We just need to keep playing solid defense behind our pitcher,” senior center fielder Keyon Allen said. “We definitely need to keep on working toward our ultimate goal of playing in the CIF championship at Dodger Stadium.”
The Quartz Hill game was scoreless the first two innings before Costa scored two runs in the bottom of the third when the Mustangs jumped on the Quartz Hills pitching. The inning began with a walk for senior shortstop Jack Hadley which he followed by stealing second base. Allen then hit a chopper up the middle that got through the infield, scoring Hadley. The run was then followed by a double to right field by senior catcher Austin Henning to score Allen.
The fourth inning continued with junior Jack Webber hitting a ball past the shortstop to score sophomore pinch runner Adam Rheinart. Webber stole second base, which set up senior right fielder Garrett Wells to hit a ground ball to first.
The Mustangs scored again when Wells safely reached first because the first baseman was off the bag, allowing the final run of the game to score.
“It was amazing to put up four runs against a team playing such good baseball,” junior designated hitter Ryan Corral said. “We were just trying to take it one at bat at a time.”
Quartz Hill struck back with a run in the top of the fifth as a result of two doubles. Later in the inning, at first base, Webber made a difficult foul ball catch and dug a ball out of the dirt to help get the Mustangs out of the inning.
“We played solid defense all game,” senior pitcher Gordon Cardenas said. “My defense was always there to back me up, especially in the fifth inning.”
In the top of the sixth inning, senior Chris Alcala went in to pitch with one out. He struck out the batter, then Henning picked off a runner at first on the same pitch to get a strike-him-out, throw-him-out to finish the inning.
“When I came in, I just tried to keep myself under control,” Alcala said. “I made the pitches when I needed to and did not let the adrenaline get the best of me.”
Two base hits along with a walk loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning. Alcala was on the mound and served a ground ball to Cardenas, who got the out at first but let one run score.
With runners on second and third base, the Mustangs intentionally walked the number-three batter in the lineup, loading the bases to set up a force out. The following batter hit a ground ball to third base to get the third and final out, ending the game at 4-2, Mustangs.
“We played fantastically,” coach Aaron Medina said. “It was nice to win in front of all the fans and alumni in the stands. We just need to keep doing what we are doing for our next game.”
The Mustangs were able to make many defensive plays. During one play, Cardenas threw out a runner on a delayed steal.
“All the chances we got to make defensive plays, we really took advantage of,” Lopez said. “We also capitalized on the other team’s errors.”
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