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Sports

Mira Costa Pushing Its Way Through Postseason

Cayton and Parucha come up big, leading the Mustangs to a 9-4 victory at La Mirada and into the CIF-SS Division 2 semifinals. Costa will play at Glendora on Tuesday for a berth in championship game

The first time at the plate, Mira Costa High first baseman Kris Cayton got a first-pitch fastball. He let fly and just missed crushing it—fouled it straight back.

There were clues in that swing, but they were missed by the La Mirada Matadores and Cayton made them pay not just once but twice as the Mustangs advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 semifinals with a 9-4 victory on Friday over the No. 4-seed in the playoff bracket.

Cayton got a first-pitch fastball from La Mirada starter Kyle Harper his next time at the plate, the bases loaded, and drove it to the wall in right center field. And he got a first-pitch fastball from Mitch Peterson in his third at-bat, runners at first and third, and he drilled that one into left field.

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Those two pitches, and swings, produced four RBI for Cayton and the Mustangs, which helped back a gutty complete game performance by starter Robert Parucha.

''I thought they would stop throwing it, but obviously they kept throwing it and I took advantage,'' Cayton said. ''They have me in the No. 8 spot and that kind of throws teams off … thinking, 'Oh, maybe this kid can't hit.' I know I'm going to get fastballs. When I foul a pitch off like that, I assume they're going to throw curveball, but they came back with a fastball.''

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Parucha made good use of those runs. The Mustangs' ace gave up two runs in the first inning and one in the seventh, and in between continually worked his way out of trouble.

La Mirada scored a run in the third and had runners at first and second with two outs, but Parucha retired Jesse McHenry on a fly ball to get out of the inning. The Matadores got the first two batters on base in the fourth, and loaded the bases with one out, but Parucha got out of that mess unscathed. They had the leadoff man aboard in the fifth, and produced nothing.

''He's a senior who didn't pitch much because of an arm injury, and every single start he's getting that much better in terms of competing,'' Coach Cassidy Olson said.

''When you go back to the [Palos Verdes] start, then San Marcos … he's done a great job.''

Parucha just kept competing, shutting down a La Mirada offense that was averaging better than seven runs a game and had five starters hitting better than .370.

 ''You've just got to stay calm,'' he said. ''No matter how many runners are on base or how many runs they score, I'm never nervous because I know my offense is going to pick me up. They're always going to score a large amount of runs, so I'm never worried about that.

''I didn't know I was going to get nine. But I'm always confident in these guys.''

The Mustangs will play at Glendora on Tuesday in the Division 2 semifinals, and the pieces to their puzzle are locked together pretty tightly at this point.

Even without leading hitter Jake Jelmini, who is sidelined because of a broken jaw suffered in a practice accident, Mira Costa has not slowed down.

Bret Collins had three hits against La Mirada, and is batting .556 (5 for 9) with two doubles and four runs scored in three games since taking the place of Jelmini in the No. 3 spot in the lineup. Sean Isaac, who moved into the designated hitter spot when Jelmini went down, was 2 for 4 with a walk and two RBI against the Matadores and has hit .455 (5 for 11) with three RBI in the Mustangs' playoff victories. Jackson Morrow had two hits on Friday and scored twice. Anthony Lombardo was on base three times on a double and two walks and scored each time.

Sophomore Ian McLaughlin came off the bench to pinch-hit in the second inning and drove in the Mustangs' first run with a base hit to center.

''Again, I keep saying it, Lucas [Whitehill] had a double, but, you know, it's all those other guys that are chipping in,'' Olson said. ''I mean, teams have got to go, 'Who is weak in this lineup?' We start with Sean Isaac, who is 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, as our leadoff guy. They've got to be a little intimidated.

''I'm just so happy for them. Our seniors, I see these La Mirada guys shaking hands for the last time and I don't want it to end for our guys.''

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