Eagles stay in first after edging Costa Mesa

The last time the Estancia High softball team played at rival Costa Mesa, two Mustang seniors hit their first home runs of the season.

On Tuesday, it was Estancia senior shortstop Felicia Rios’ turn.

Rios hit the first pitch she saw in the fourth inning over the wall in straightaway center for a solo shot.

“I was just looking for a hit,” Rios said after the game. “But you know, last time playing on this field, I had to go out with a bang. It’s always good hitting a home run against your cross-town rival.”

Rios hit two of them last year when the Eagles routed the Mustangs in a tiebreaker game for third place in the Orange Coast League. Tuesday’s game wasn’t nearly as lopsided, but Estancia will surely take the win.

Make that, first-place Estancia.

Rios finished four for five as the Eagles won the first Battle for the Bell game, 11-8. It’s still early, but Estancia (7-8, 3-0 in league) stayed tied for first place in league with Godinez. The Grizzlies are also 3-0 in league after beating Calvary Chapel, 18-4, on Tuesday.

The victory over Costa Mesa also allowed Estancia to get some revenge after losing to the Mustangs, 16-15, in the fifth-place game of the Costa Mesa tournament on March 16.

That was part of a five-game losing streak for the Eagles, but it appears that they have bounced back from that. Last Thursday, they earned a big 7-5 victory over defending league champion Calvary Chapel, snapping Calvary’s 67-game winning streak in league.

“In the tournament we did lose to [Costa Mesa], but I think we gained our confidence back when we beat Calvary,” Rios said. “We just had to go out today and we couldn’t lose to [Costa Mesa] again. It was very important.”

The game was tied, 1-1, when Estancia batted around in the top of the third inning to score five runs. All of the runs came with two outs, and four of them were unearned.

Nefertiti Van Den Heever’s single down the right-field line scored her twin sister Maya, who had walked to begin the inning. The throw back into the infield got away, putting runners on second and third.

Estancia junior Isabelle Morales followed with a bunt, which was fielded by the Mesa third baseman. But she paused and didn’t throw to any base. Kalena Shepherd scored on the play. Eagles sophomore pitcher Brittany Walker then helped her own cause by following with an RBI infield single. Costa Mesa shortstop Brenna Alvis managed to keep it in the infield but didn’t have a play.

Estancia’s Carol Fuentes then followed with a single off Mesa pitcher Haley Wolf’s glove, before Grecia Henriquez scored another with a single to right-center. Mesa right fielder Haylee Jack threw a second runner trying to score out at home to end the inning, but the damage was done.

“We’re definitely becoming more of a team as the years go by,” said Walker, who got the win for the Eagles in the circle. She walked four, three of those free passes given to Mesa freshman phenom Katie Belmontes, and struck out three.

“Beating Calvary Chapel kind of gave us the confidence to come here and play our hardest, giving us the boost that we need,” Walker added. “It gets stressful [pitching against Mesa] at times, but I know my defense has got me. My catcher, Kalena, she calls time and comes to talk to me. That calms me down. The teammates help a lot, get me through it.”

The Mustangs (6-6, 1-2) tried to play catch up. They scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Estancia answered right back with three in the top of the sixth. The Mustangs got two back in the bottom of the inning, narrowing their deficit to 10-8, before the Eagles scored one in the top of the seventh when Rios scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded.

Still, Costa Mesa had its chances in the seventh as well. With one out, Valerie Castro reached on an error, and Paige Fisher reached on a fielder’s choice where Castro was also safe at second. Alvis then singled behind second base, but the Eagles were able to get a force out at third base for the second out.

Mesa senior Anessa Farldow came up as the potential tying run and made good contact, but she lined out to Maya Van Den Heever in center to end the game.

“We just came out on the short end this time,” Costa Mesa Coach Heather Orduña said. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more from my team. I think they played with all they’ve got. While we had some minor errors, that’s going to happen every game. They played their hearts out, and they know that all season win or lose that’s all I ask of them. I’m just as proud of this game as if we would have won. We just have to stay focused and move toward the next time we see them [at Estancia on May 5].”

Fisher led the Mustangs from the leadoff spot, hitting three for four with a walk, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Alvis had a pair of RBI doubles, and senior first baseman Jasmine Herrera was three for four with two RBIs. Wolf also had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs.

Henriquez was two for four with a double and walk for Estancia, while Nefertiti Van Den Heever had a hit and three walks. Walker was two for three with a walk and three RBIs, while Fuentes also had a pair of hits.

Costa Mesa plays host to Godinez on Thursday, while Estancia is at Laguna Beach. The Eagles then play host to Godinez next Tuesday in what could be a first-place showdown.

“It’s definitely exciting,” Estancia Coach Carrie Lester said. “We’ve had third- and fourth-place finishes for the last seven or eight years. To be battling for first or second is exciting. We have a lot of experience on the field this year with six seniors.”

The six seniors, including Rios, want to go out with a bang.

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Orange Coast League

Estancia 11, Costa Mesa 8

SCORE BY INNINGS

Est 015 103 1 – 11 12 3

CM 102 032 0 – 8 13 4

Walker and Shepherd; Wolf and Farldow. W – Walker. L – Wolf. 2B – Henriquez (Est), Alvis (CM) 2, Wolf (CM). HR – Rios (Est).