Mustangs win on home run

Steve Virgen

There was a sense of urgency, a sense of anxiety for Costa Mesa High

when its senior shortstop Ann Marie Topps went to the plate in the

bottom of the sixth inning. There also seemed to be an aura of

confidence about the Newport Harbor Sailors, since Topps had grounded

out and flied out in her two previous at-bats.

However, with one swing of the bat, Topps calmed the Mustangs and

took the life out of the Sailors, in a battle between Newport-Mesa

District teams Monday at Costa Mesa. She smacked her sixth home run

of the season, a two-run blast over the center field fence [about 200

feet], leading Mesa’s softball team to a 2-1 come-from-behind victory

over Newport, for third place in the Costa Mesa Tournament.

Jane-E Yamamoto, the Mustangs’ junior designated hitter, reached

on an infield error and scored on Topps’ home run. Topps, bound for

the University of Oregon, playfully chased Yamamoto around the bases,

not knowing if she would have passed her she would have been called

out.

“[The Newport pitcher] threw a drop ball and I knew that was the

pitch I wanted to hit,” said Topps, who thought Mesa’s victory

displayed teamwork. “Once we play our game, we knew we can do it. We

know we can win. And, there’s a lot of girls on this team who are

having a lot of fun.”

In addition to Topps’ humorous race with Yamamoto, Mesa sophomore

pitcher Jackie Butler also added some comic relief for the Mustangs

(7-4) in the top of the seventh. Butler, as part of her in-game

ritual, was dancing to a tune her head, while she was in the circle.

“It’s that one song, ‘I love it when you call me Big Poppa,’ ”

Butler said of the rap song by the late Notorious B.I.G. “It helps me

relax.”

Apparently, the song and dance also motivated Butler. She retired

the side in order in the bottom of the sixth, which included a

strikeout. The game ended after Topps fielded a ground ball and made

the throw to her sister, Kelly, a sophomore at first base. The Topps

sisters teamed up for four such outs.

Butler allowed three hits and one run. She struck out two, walked

one and retired the side in order in four innings to improve her

pitching record to 6-1.

“Our defense played incredible,” Costa Mesa Coach Rick Buonarigo

said. “We just made the plays we needed to make. No one did anything

outstanding. Every ball that was hit to us, we just made it count.”

The Sailors, led by senior pitcher Kim Moore, were also

defensively sound, for the most part. They held Mesa scoreless

through five innings. Moore allowed three hits and she struck out

three.

“We probably should have given Kim a breather [in the sixth],”

Newport Coach Sharon Wolfe said. “[Topps] definitely got all of that

one [pitch].”

The Sailors scored in the top of the sixth inning. Leadoff hitter

Ashley Gleason, who reached on a single, scored after a base hit by

senior Athena Vasquez. Vasquez, a shortstop bound for Wisconsin,

attempted to advance to second base after Gleason slid home for the

1-0 lead. However, Mesa junior catcher Michelle Miller picked Vasquez

off at second base.

Newport (7-3) now has three losses by one run deficits. Wolfe

said, the Sailors seem to be on the verge of overcoming a transition

stage, which stems from Wolfe taking over as coach in this her first

year.

The Mustangs are also dealing with a bit of transition. They have

endured two crucial injuries to starters, Yamamoto and Katy Renish, a

senior who plays third base. Buonarigo said Yamamoto cannot throw, so

she is assigned to be the designated hitter, while Renish, who

suffered a mild concussion two weeks ago, might return Friday, when

the Mustangs face crosstown rival Estancia.

“I told [the Mustangs] from the beginning of the season that we

can win with any nine,” Buonarigo said. “The girls are beginning to

learn to play different positions.”

Buonarigo said, senior Alejandra Gallardo played at third base for

the first time this season, and sophomore Uyen Mai is still

relatively new to second base. Gallardo had four assists and she also

gloved a fly ball in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Savannah won the Costa Mesa Tournament, after defeating Saddleback

last week.

*--*

Costa Mesa Tournament

Third place

Costa Mesa 2, Newport Harbor 1

Newport 000 001 0 -- 1 3 3

Mesa 000 002 x -- 2 3 1

Moore and Campbell; Butler and Miller. W --

Butler, 6-1. L -- Moore, 4-3. HR -- A.

Topps (CM)

*--*