Spoulos to the rescue

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COSTA MESA — Like most teenagers, Cody Spoulos admits at times that he ignores his parents.

The Costa Mesa High senior couldn’t get away with it this time.

Spoulos heard his father, Ted, yelling well before he stepped in the batter’s box with so much at stake Thursday.

The baseball game at Estancia was tied in the top of the seventh inning. The bases loaded. Two outs. And walking to the plate, you guessed it, a nervous Spoulos.

“He’s going outside on you! He’s going outside on you!” Ted said, reminding his son of a part of the plate that Spoulos struggles with.

Spoulos knew he had to listen. Estancia starter Ryan Redding continued to paint the corner like an artist with a brush on a canvas. Five pitches later, Spoulos made sure to have the best stroke.

Spoulos hit a high outside fastball to right field, driving in two runs to allow the Mustangs to come from behind for a 6-4 Orange Coast League victory and helping them take a 2-0 series lead against their cross-town rivals.

The player breathing the biggest sigh of relief afterward was Spoulos. The center fielder can relax now. The Mustangs (9-6, 4-0 in league) go on spring break next week atop the league standings.

They won’t play any league games. Next are just four days of Beach Pit Classic baseball. The 16-team tournament begins Saturday.

“My heart was racing really fast,” said Spoulos, the No. 7 hitter, who was hitless with a strikeout in two at-bats before facing Redding again. “That’s been my biggest problem all through high school hitting is taking the ball to [the opposite] field. After [the home plate umpire] called that one [pitch] before I [got] the hit a strike low and away, I just scooted up as far as I could [to the plate] and then just hoped to hit it.”

Spoulos just didn’t make contact. He delivered in the clutch after Andrew Millian tied it at 4-4 with a double to deep left-center field in the seventh.

Four batters later, Spoulos capped Costa Mesa’s three-run rally in the inning to hand the Eagles their fourth straight league loss.

Estancia Coach Matt Sorensen was impressed. The first-year man got another taste of the heated rivalry, the one in which the Eagles won the Paul Troxel Trophy last season by winning three of the four contests, ending Costa Mesa’s five-year run.

“That’s why we all play competitive sports, to be in a tight game, to get that feeling right there. It gets your blood pumping,” Sorensen said. “The kids showed a lot of emotion. The coaches are getting into it, the crowd’s [in it]. It was an awesome atmosphere.

“You got to feel good for a kid like that when he really clutches up for his team like that. I’d like to feel if Ryan Redding located that pitch we would still be playing right now.”

Estancia (6-9, 0-4) had its chances. But in the way was Costa Mesa starter Tyler Peterson.

The right-handed sophomore delivered his third straight quality outing. Peterson (5-2) was matched up against Redding (2-3), a senior and Estancia’s ace. Both pitched well and went the distance, but Peterson was more effective in the last three innings.

Overall, Peterson threw fewer pitches (88) than Redding (118). Peterson struck out five and allowed three earned runs. Peterson had enough to finish the game strong after giving up a single and walking a batter in the bottom of the seventh.

With two outs and two runners on, Peterson got the next batter to fly out to right field to end it.

“We knew coming over here that they were going to play us tough,” Costa Mesa Coach Jim Kiefer said. “I thought Redding pitched a [heck] of a game for them. He kept us off balance, had command of the outside part of the plate.

“But in the end our guys made adjustments. Andrew and Cody were able to get pitches to hit, handled them, and came through for us.”

Spoulos can thank his dad for speaking up.

“He knows that’s my biggest problem,” said Spoulos of protecting the outside. “Even though he tells me, I still don’t do it.”

Spoulos finally did in a big way.

Orange Coast League

Costa Mesa 6, Estancia 4

SCORE BY INNINGS

Peterson and Hirsch; Redding and Tomasek. W – Peterson, 5-2. L – Redding, 2-3. 2B – Molina (CM) 2, Millian (CM), Sanchez (CM).

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.