Leadoff hitter Cole Lefebvre waits for a pitch in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader. (Photos: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
Estancia High School’s baseball team battled back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat Santa Ana 6-5 in the first game of an Orange Coast League doubleheader Friday afternoon at Bill Ross Field on the Santa Ana campus.
The Eagles (12-2, 5-1) also won the second game 4-0. Estancia is the defending CIF Divison 6 champion.
In the first game, Santa Ana (3-7, 1-4) held a 4-0 lead after two innings and led 5-2 after three before the Eagles battled back.
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
Estancia junior Luke Costlow, pitching for the first time since Feb. 14, came on in relief of starter Miles Moyer in the fourth inning and pitched four shutout innings to get the win. Costlow (1-0) allowed two hits, struck out one and walked two. He had only pitched one inning before Friday.
“We did a great job just hanging in there,” said Estancia Coach Nate Goellrich. “We came out a little flat and sluggish early, but for Luke, who hasn’t pitched in a month because of all the rainouts, for him to come in for Miles and keep it close for us and grind it out four innings to save our pitching for game two was an amazing job.”
“I’m not really like a big play guy,” Costlow said. “I’m usually on the bench always cheering the team on and work hard in practice. I got the opportunity and I wanted to take advantage of it and prove a point. I just went on the mound, did my best to throw strikes and threw as hard as I can and let my defense do the work.”
Estancia moved ahead 6-5 with a run in the top of the sixth inning. Jake Humphries doubled and eventually scored when John Uchytil reached on a fielder’s choice driving in a run.
The Eagles tied the scored 5-5 with three runs in the fifth inning. Costlow was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. Uchytil doubled to put runners on second and third. James De La O reached on an error to load the bases.
Andrew Coyotzi drove in a run with a single. Riley Witte had a sacrifice fly and Emmet Shephard delivered an RBI single for the third run.
Santa Ana threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Emiliano Valadez walked and stole second but Costlow retired the next three hitters, stranding Valadez at third base.
The Saints started out fast in support of starting pitcher Christian Nieto. Joshua Delgado had an RBI double and Ivan Ramirez an RBI single in the first inning. In the second inning, Troy Banuelos delivered a two-run single driving in Angels Torres and Nieto and putting the Saints ahead 4-0.
After Estancia cut the lead to 4-2 with two runs in the third, the Saints answered with a run in the bottom of the third. Ramirez doubled and scored on an RBI single by Eric Razo.
But Santa Ana was unable to sustain the effort the rest of the way.
“It’s the way all the games have been, we got to learn how to play seven innings,” said Santa Ana Coach Dave Silva. “We keep coming up short on finishing up and it’s every game we’ve lost has been like this. It’s almost like we forget to play seven innings but we will turn it around. The kids are working hard. We got to get better on our baserunning. Both the kids (Nieto and Joel Dunas) did pretty good.”
Estancia got solid offensive production from leadoff hitter Cole Lefebvre, who was 2 for 3 with two walks and a run scored, Coyotzi, who was 2 for 4 and Shephard, who was 3 for 4 with an RBI.
Banuelos, Delgado, Ramirez and Victor De La Cruz had two hits each for Santa Ana.
Goellrich, the Eagles’ coach, likes where his team, which was ranked second in the CIF Division 5 poll this week, is at this point of the season.
“We know we’re getting everybody’s best shot, which our kids have been ready for all year,” Goellrich said. “We’ve done a great job of understanding the moment. Our expectations are higher than what they were last year. The kids have shown that, obviously we’re winning games. We definitely don’t think we’re playing to our peak yet so that’s the exciting part.
“We’re putting ourselves in a position to be in the context for the league championship and hopefully another deep run in the playoffs.”
ESTANCIA 4, SANTA ANA 0: In the second game, Andrew Mits (5-2) pitched a complete game, allowing four hits and striking out 12 to get the win for the Eagles, according to Goellrich. Lefebvre was 2 for 3 with a run scored and a double; Uchytil was 2 for 3 with a run scored, RBI and a triple and De La O was 2 for 4 with two RBI and a double. Estancia was the designated home team for the game.
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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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