Epic Season Ends, Trabuco Hills Loses in 10 Innings to Etiwanda

It went three innings longer than convention, and thanks to a controversial call that turned into a coaching tirade, it lasted almost 3 1/2 hours. But after falling to Etiwanda, 6-4, in 10 innings at home on Friday, it was clear that the 2011 CIF Southern Section Division 2 postseason was far too short for the Trabuco Hills baseball team.

Winners of 25 regular-season games and champions of the Sea View League with an 8-2 record, the Mustangs came into the playoffs with high hopes. After hearing about the Eagles' dramatic 11-6 win over Tustin on Thursday, a game in which Etiwanda erased a six-run deficit, it was clear the first round would be no cakewalk.

Now, the Mustangs (25-6) are done for the season and Etiwanda (14-11) will play Tuesday against Chino Hills.

While Trabuco Hills did everything it could to temper the Eagles' streaky bats, the Mustangs had no answer for Etiwanda's masterful defensive performance, which included highlight-reel efforts that took three Trabuco Hills hits off the board and ultimately meant the difference.

"I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys," Trabuco Hills coach Michael Burns said of his squad. "These guys competed the whole way and it just seemed like it wasn't in the cards today. How many balls do we hit hard right at somebody? How many times did we put pressure on them, baserunning-wise, and a perfect throw gets a guy bang-bang at a base? I'm just real proud of this group and how they competed."

Etiwanda took a 1-0 lead in the third and extended it to 3-0 an inning later when pinch-hitter Jason Broussard squibbed a first-pitch fastball off the end of the bat and into right, scoring two.

Trabuco Hills answered right back in the home half of the fourth inning after Kevin Wade led off with a single and came around on Trevor Petersen's double to the wall in left. Two batters later, Brandon Pace crushed a first-pitch fastball that cracked off the fence in left, scoring Petersen to make it 3-2.

Senior Jake Chutney got the start on the hill for the Mustangs and lasted 3 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and struck out two before handing off to Garrett Kraemer, who struck out five in 3 1/3.

Wade worked the extra frames and recorded a strikeout.

"Garrett did a great job," Burns said of Kraemer. "Statistically, he's been our best pitcher all season long and that's why we're so quick to get him in the game. But we have three No. 1 [pitchers], and we used all three. We went down with all of our bullets today."

Jake Gallaway's triple to right in the seventh gave Etiwanda an insurance run heading into the bottom of the seventh, but once again the Mustangs answered back. They tied it up in the home half thanks to a controversial set of circumstances.

After a ground out to start the frame, Ethan Stanton reached on a error then moved to third when Adam Vargas roped a double to right. Stanton then scored on a passed ball and Vargas advanced, setting up Sean McCarrell at the dish with an opportunity to tie it.

McCarrell (2-for-3) hit a roller to shortstop and the Eagles threw home looking to nail Vargas, but Vargas cut his effort short as the play developed, setting up a run-down between third and home. The play ended when Vargas was tagged out heading back to third, but he had collided with Etiwanda third baseman Isreal Elizarraras in the process. Burns immediately went to the third base umpire looking for an obstruction call.

He got it following a long and deliberate conference near the pitcher's mound by the umpiring crew. Vargas was awarded home plate after it was determined Etiwanda was guilty of interference in the base path.

Etiwanda coach Don Furnald stormed out of the dugout red-faced and demanding answers. After a lengthy argument, the Mustangs couldn't take advantage. The winning run, McCarrell, was stranded 90 feet from home and Trabuco Hills wouldn't threaten the rest of the way.

The Eagles claimed victory in the 10th after Michael Bradley led off with a double and Chris Oropressa drove him home with a knock of his own. Oropressa eventually scored on a passed ball.

 "[Our] seniors have come such a long way from 8-19 last year," Burns said. "They have provided great leadership for our young guys. We have a great, young nucleus of players, and I really believe these seniors started something special. They started something that you're going to see at Trabuco Hills for years to come, and they started it with their leadership."

Senior outfielder Matt Harris finished his career with a second-inning double, and senior Josh Fuentes played an outstanding game at short. 

Stanton, a senior as well, turned in one the Mustangs' prettiest plays of the season when he dove to catch a floater in center to close out the top of the second.