Becktel’s Homer Carries Cougars to Title

After Capistrano Valley’s Kellan McConnell hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score in the Cougars’ winner-take-all game against seventh-ranked Trabuco Hills, an exuberant pack of teammates inadvertently knocked him to the ground in celebration.

An inning later, after Travis Becktel’s three-run homer gave host Capistrano Valley an 11-8 victory and the first South Coast League title in the post-Mater Dei era, the same pack of teammates mobbed Becktel.

This time, the gleeful horde hit the ground with Becktel, and there was nothing inadvertent about it.

Becktel’s homer had capped an improbable late-season run and an unlikely comeback Thursday, as the Cougars rallied from deficits of 6-0 and 8-6 to win their first league title since 1992. Mater Dei, winner of the last seven league titles, this year moved to the Serra League.

“It’s incredible,” said McConnell, who also hit a solo homer in the first inning to register his first two-homer game of the season. “The seniors have wanted this league championship since we were on the freshman team four years ago.”

Capistrano Valley (18-8, 11-4), left for dead three weeks ago when it was three games behind Trabuco Hills in the standings, has won seven consecutive games, 10 of 11 and 12 of 14. The Mustangs (17-9, 9-6) have dropped four straight.

“This team had some adversity early on,” Cougar Coach Bob Zamora said. “Some guys weren’t hitting, and we had some trouble with guys trying too hard, pressing too hard. We were cold early, but it’s who’s hot last that matters.”

On Thursday, Trabuco Hills was hot early. There were high-fives all around after the Mustangs sent 10 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning and scored six runs off Capistrano Valley starter Derek Acosta.

Jason Mooneyham stroked a two-run double, Sean Boatright hit a two-run homer and Mike Thompson added a two-run single.

Then Mike Collins took the mound for Trabuco Hills . . . and failed to get out of the inning. Scott Cheo hit a three-run homer, McConnell added a solo shot and Brad Davis and Jeff Dixon walked to chase Collins. Brad Peters entered in relief and gave up a two-run double to P.J. Mitchell before getting out of the inning with the score tied, 6-6.

Collins’ line? Three hits, three walks and six runs--all earned--in 1/3 of an inning.

“Our guy comes out with a six-run lead and doesn’t get the job done,” Trabuco Hills Coach Tim Ellis said. “It’s as simple as that.”

All was not lost, though. Steve Sirbu homered in the second to give the Mustangs a 7-6 lead and scored in the seventh on Boatright’s sacrifice fly to make it 8-6.

But Becktel led off the bottom of the inning with a double and McConnell followed with his second home run, to right-center, to tie the score, 8-8.

In the eighth, Peters walked Mitchell and, two outs later, hit Cheo in the back. Becktel then stepped to the plate and hit a fastball over the fence in left-center.

“I was just like, ‘Wow!’ ” Becktel said of his emotions as he circled the bases. “It felt great.”