Mira Costa Defeats West Torrance 8-3, Sweeps Season Series

The Mira Costa High Mustangs are hitting the baseball and they look to be hitting their stride, too, picking up their third straight victory with an 8-3 victory on Friday over West Torrance.

The Mustangs received six strong innings from senior hurler Drew Van Orden, who allowed only one run, escaping a fifth inning where the Warriors loaded the bases.

"This win feels good, I tried to keep them off balance, I mostly just stuck to my curve and fastball," Van Orden said. "I need to work on locating my change-up, but things were working and the defense did a great job behind me."

The Mustangs' defense had one of their strongest outings of the year, as they had no errors and benefited from some nifty glove-work from senior shortstop Kyle Demarco.

"Kyle, is a fiery personality," Coach Cassidy Olson said. "He was the quarterback on the football team and he brings a real intensity to the game. He's matured a lot and is harnessing his emotions. He really came up big today."

Leading off the game, second baseman Danny Rojas walked, stole second base and scored on a single by Jake Jelmini. Catcher Jackson Morrow would single advancing Jelmini who was subsequently driven in by Lucas Whitehill to put the Mustangs up 2-0.  

After a scoreless second, the Mustangs put together a big inning in the third.  Jelmini singled on a first-pitch fastball. Whitehill fell behind early swinging and missing at two pitches out of the strike zone, then caught a fastball up and made the Warriors suffer with a two-run homer to left field.

From there, Anthony Lombardo and Bret Collins singled and Derek Largent walked to load the bases. Kris Cayton drove in a run with an infield single. With the bases still loaded, Rojas walked as the Mustangs brought the lead to 6-0.

The offense has been surging of late. During the last three Mustangs' wins, they have averaged almost 10 runs per game. First baseman Jake Jelmini has been swinging a hot bat lately with three multi-hit games during the Mustangs' winning streak. He had missed the first month of the season recovering from two cracked ribs sustained during Mira Costa's championship football season.

"I feel good physically, I'm concentrating on swinging inside-out and I've been getting some pitches to hit and knocking people in," Jelmini said. 

"The bats are alive," Olson said. I was a little unhappy that we slowed down some toward the end, we were aggressive swinging the bats and they have really been picking up steam." 

Whitehill was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate, including his third-inning home run.

"I've been hitting in the five spot in the order recently, and it's been working," Whitehill said. We've been putting in the work all season and things are coming together.  Games like this build confidence. We've had early leads lately which helps too."