Alyssa Zucker
Staff Writer
The Mira Costa varsity baseball team will go to Dodger Stadium for the CIF championship game after defeating Elsinore at their home.
The Mustangs were tied most of the game but were victorious in the end winning 5-3.
“We really wanted to win this game,” senior pitcher Gordon Cardenas said. “We have been working hard all season and now we are hoping it pays off.”
Senior center fielder Keyon Allen led off the game with a single, and then senior left fielder Kevin Lopez moved him to third with another single. Allen scored off a sacrifice RBI ground out from junior first baseman Jack Webber.
“Everyone had high energy this game,” Lopez said. “We came out swinging.”
Then in the third inning senior third baseman Braden Casady had a bunt for a base hit, then stole second. Casady scored on a triple from senior designated hitter Grant Livornese, to go in to the bottom of the third 2-0.
“All we can do is keep playing our game,” Allen said. “We cannot over think anything going into the next game.”
Elsinore rallied in the bottom of the third to take the lead over Mira Costa 3-2, but that lead did not last long because the Mustangs came back with bases loaded and Webber getting hit by pitch to score the tying run. Elsinore tried to come back with two singles in the bottom of the fifth inning, but senior catcher Austin Henning back picked the runner at first to get out of the inning.
“There was also rock solid defense to back me up,” Cardenas said. “I could not be more proud of how far we’ve come.”
In the top of the seventh with the game still tied, junior pinch hitter Ryan Corral got on with a single in the 5-6 hole. Livornese came up to bat next with a two-run homerun to make the score 5-3 Mustangs. Cardenas held them in the bottom of the seventh, to win the game 5-3.
“There was so much excitement on the field,” Corral said. “Everyone has worked so hard and really wants the win on Friday at Dodger Stadium.”
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