It’s playoff time for Mustangs

COSTA MESA — Three hours before game time, Garrick Williams saw some of his Costa Mesa High teammates in their uniforms, eager to play.

At another baseball field in town. Watching another game.

Not just any other game. This Orange Coast League game between Laguna Beach and Calvary Chapel at Vanguard University factored into whether the Mustangs’ season would continue after Wednesday.

Keep in mind Costa Mesa really could decide that on its own, without needing Laguna Beach to lose.

Beat cross-town rival Estancia Wednesday. Get into the postseason for the first time since 2001. Easy.

Not so much with the Eagles taking the first three games in the series. And after seeing league-leader Calvary Chapel fall behind by three runs in the fourth, Williams, decided it was time to leave and throw on his uniform.

Game time against Estancia awaited at TeWinkle Park, and the senior didn’t disappoint the home crowd.

With the game tied in the sixth, Williams came in relief. He pitched two scoreless innings, led off the bottom of the sixth with an infield single, and came around to score the game-winning run, lifting Costa Mesa to a 7-5 victory and into the playoffs.

By the way, Williams’ late-inning act came with Laguna Beach watching from the visiting stands and rooting for Estancia to win. The Breakers beat Calvary Chapel, 7-4.

But with Costa Mesa (15-11, 6-6 in league) clinching second place in league and the league’s second automatic berth into the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs because it swept the series against Laguna Beach, it didn’t matter at the end.

Williams broke the Breakers (6-6 in league) off.

“You could hear them. They’re trying to pop off,” said Williams, who struck out two batters, allowed one hit and one walk. “They’re competitive and I give them respect. They want a spot in the playoffs just as bad as we do. To me, the better team won [out].

“I just told myself, ‘This is my senior year, this could possibly be my last game.’ Coach always tells me to, ‘Cowboy up.’ I had to cowboy up.”

Williams delivered, lassoing the Eagles (9-18, 3-9) for the first time in three appearances against his rivals.

Estancia’s players rung the bell on the Paul Troxel Trophy and later hoisted it, but it was Williams (4-5) raising his right arm in the air and making a fist that stood out at the end.

After scoring the game-winning run when Gabe Sanchez legged out an infield single with two outs, Williams took the mound in the top of the seventh.

A close call by the base umpire, as Estancia shortstop Blake Pinto made a valiant effort going to his right in the hole before firing the ball to first base.

“He was safe. He actually beat it,” said Estancia Coach C.K. Green, whose team won the rivalry for the first time since 2001. “We had a photographer here and [the photographer] had the perfect picture. The foot was on the base and the ball hadn’t arrived yet. It was legit.”

So was starter Andrew Millian for four of his five innings. He recorded nine strikeouts by fooling Estancia with a nasty breaking ball.

Unlike Millian, Williams went right after the batters.

“Just bring the heat,” Williams said.

Five pitches is all he needed to fan the leadoff hitter. Next came Tim Morley, and everyone thought his blast to deep center would go over the fence. But with a bigger ballpark, with straightaway center being 403 feet away from home plate, the ball stayed in. Cody Waldron made the catch.

Three more pitches is all Williams needed, getting a ground out to end the game and make Mesa Coach Jim Kiefer proud.

This is the first time Kiefer, 37, has guided a team to the postseason in his eight years as a varsity head coach. The two-year Costa Mesa coach spent six years at Newport Harbor.

“It’s gratifying personally, but it’s about these kids,” said Kiefer, adding he was happy to see his team play aggressive and jump out to a 5-1 lead in the first inning after losing to Estancia, 11-5, Monday. “The big thing was, [Williams] struggled as a starter the last couple of times, but he knew his job was simple. Come in and throw strikes, and challenge their hitters. He handled that responsibility perfectly.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].

Estancia 5

Score by Innings

Estancia 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 - 5 9 1

CM 5 0 0 0 0 2 x - 7 8 0

Redding and McDonald; Millian, Williams (6) and Pisarski. W -- Williams, 4-5. L -- Redding, 1-5. 2B -- Tomasek (E) 2, Redding (E) 2, Maxwell (E), Von Berg (CM), Millian (CM), Pisarski (CM).

Orange Coast LeagueCosta Mesa 7,