Mustangs Knock Off Top-Ranked Cougars

Capistrano Valley looked like anything but the county’s top-ranked team in a sloppy 6-3 loss to Trabuco Hills in a South Coast League baseball opener Monday at Capistrano Valley High.

Starting pitcher Rik Currier (2-1) had no one to blame for his first defeat, throwing away a sacrifice bunt in the third that led to a three-run third, and leaving a fastball out over the plate in the eighth that Mustang third baseman Larry Goldzman pounded 380 feet for a three-run homer, his first.

The Cougars (4-1, 0-1) were not fearsome with the bats, either. They had only three singles off Trabuco Hills starter Ryan Poe (3-0) and reliever Nick Punto, and none of the hits figured in their three unearned runs.

Two runners scored in the fourth when Poe dropped a two-out infield fly with the bases loaded. And Capistrano Valley tied the score in the seventh when Poe hit shortstop John Di Corpo with two outs and the bases loaded.

A throwing error by Goldzman in the seventh put the Cougars’ eventual tying run on base, so he was quite happy to be the hero in the eighth.

“I know Rik doesn’t give up many [home runs],” Goldzman said. “But we were very pumped to play them. We knew we had beaten them before, and could do it again.”

Goldzman said the South Coast League race would not be a two-team affair between Capistrano Valley and Mater Dei, which the Mustangs play on Wednesday.

“Trabuco Hills will not go out like chumps--and you can quote me,” Goldzman said. “We will have something to say about who wins the league.”