Crosstown showdowns to unfold

The crosstown rivalry between Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools

highlights the return to league competition for Newport-Mesa schools

this week.

The Mustangs and Eagles are set to battle for bragging rights in

baseball, softball, boys volleyball, boys and girls swimming and boys

and girls track and field.

The crosstown showdowns in baseball and softball are scheduled

Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. at Estancia, while the boys and girls swim

meet, with Golden West League title ramifications, is also set for

Wednesday at 3 at Costa Mesa.

The two will square off in boys and girls track and field Thursday

at 315 at Orange Coast College. The league tri-meet also includes

Orange.

Finally, the boys volleyball teams from both schools will face off

Friday at approximately 3:30 at Costa Mesa.

Both Estancia and Costa Mesa are undefeated in Golden West League

girls swim meets thus far, while the undefeated Mesa boys sit atop

the league standings, followed by the Eagles, who are 3-1 against

league foes.

On the baseball diamond, Costa Mesa brings a 7-7 record into

Wednesday’s clash, while the Eagles are a mere 2-11.

But the Estancia players’ spirits may be substantially bolstered

by their performance at the tail end of the Pride of the Coast

tournament over spring break.

The Eagles built some momentum by defeating Santiago, 8-3, April

6, to halt a six-game losing skid. They then battled Newport Harbor

in a 2-1 loss Wednesday.

Gauchos turn back Pirates

* GOLF: The Orange Coast College men’s golf team dropped a 356-408

Orange Empire Conference verdict Monday to Saddleback at Tijeras

Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Peter Baker and Josh Dean paced the Pirates with an 18-hole round

of 5-over-par 77.

Jason Cassidy (78), Shaun Vickers (86) and Joo Namkoong (90)

rounded out the Orange Coast scorers.

The Pirates fell to 8-10, 7-9 in conference.

Sailors win in Hawaii

* GOLF: Newport Harbor High juniors Davis Pemstein and Brandon

Sowers shot 1-over-par 73 to share medalist honors and lead the

Sailors to a 377-406 nonleague victory over host Kahuku at the Turtle

Bay Resort in Hawaii, Saturday.

Michael Benvenuti (75), Michael Vackar (77) and Rhett Palmer (79)

also scored for the Sailors.

Dunlap to Pepperdine

* TENNIS: Newport Harbor High senior Vanessa Dunlap, who teamed

with Bonnie Adams last fall to win the Sea View League doubles title,

has committed to continue her tennis career at Pepperdine University,

her father, Bill, said.

Dunlap turned down scholarship help from other schools to walk on

for the Waves, whose roster includes former Newport Harbor standout

Natalie Braverman.

Dunlap and Adams reached the CIF Round of 16 in doubles.