Mesa pulls it out, 6-3

GARDEN GROVE - Steven Shores’ two-run double to right-center

ignited a four-run sixth inning and Costa Mesa High’s baseball team

pulled out a 6-3 victory over host Rancho Alamitos in a nonleague game

Friday.

The Mustangs, who were handcuffed, 3-2, entering the sixth, put two

runners aboard for Shores as Lyle Yourex walked and Josh Little got

aboard on an infield single on a hit and run play.

A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position and then Shores

came through with his two-bagger.

Daniel Hunter followed with a single to put runners at the corners, then

Antony Grubisich’s come-backer to the pitcher was thrown away, scoring

Shores and Hunter.

Mesa squelched Rancho’s hopes in the bottom of the sixth when, after a

leadoff walk was followed by a bunt. Catcher Galel Fajardo fielded it and

got the lead runner at second, perhaps the defensive play of the day.

“That really took the wind out of their sails,” said Mesa Coach Kirk

Bauermeister, who watched his team improve to 4-3-1 overall.

Mesa struck early with single tallies in the first and second to take a

2-1 lead.

Carlos Franco’s grounder to short scored Nick Cabico, who had led off

with a single.

In the second inning Fajardo slammed a leadoff homer to left-center on

the first pitch.

Rancho Alamitos fell to 3-7.

Costa Mesa returns to action today at Foothill High with an 11 a.m. start

in the final game of the Costa Mesa-Foothill Tournament.

NONLEAGUE

Costa Mesa 6, Rancho Alamitos 3

Costa Mesa 110 004 0 - 6 5 3

Rancho Alamitos 101 010 0 - 3 9 2

Casarrubias, Haubrick (4), Franco (6) and Fajardo. Donnelly, Cuevas (4),

Freitas (7) and F. DeLa Rosa. W - Haubrick, 2-0. L - Cuevas. 2B - Shores

(CM). HR - Fajardo (CM), French (RA).