Allen, Mustangs Finish the Job

Two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh of a one-run game--what better time to test a player’s playoff mettle?

Consider Kyle Allen tested.

Allen, following a visit to the mound by Trabuco Hills Coach Tim Ellis, struck out Irvine’s Jack Egan on three pitches to end the game and preserve a 4-3 victory over the Vaqueros in a Division II quarterfinal Friday at Trabuco Hills.

“[Ellis] asked if I wanted to finish,” Allen said, “and I said ‘Oh, yeah.’ ”

The Mustangs (21-8) entered the seventh with a 4-2 lead, but Irvine loaded the bases with one out and had cleanup hitter Chris Lewis, who had homered earlier, coming to the plate.

Lewis hit a fly ball that was hauled in by Mustang center fielder Sean Boatright at the fence, but Chad Hazlett broke for home and had to race back to third base when the ball was caught. Dan Beuchat followed with an infield single that scored Hazlett and sent Ellis to the mound.

“I told [Allen] to bear down,” Ellis said, “and he said, ‘All I need need is a different baseball.’ ”

Trabuco Hills built a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a mammoth home run from Boatright and consecutive doubles by P.J. Sandoval and Mike Thompson.

Irvine tied the score, 2-2, with single runs in the second and third, but Brad Boster led off the fifth with a home run and James Webster squibbed a two-out RBI single between third and short later in the inning to make it 4-2.

The victory marks the Mustangs’ first appearance in the semifinals--they will play Riverside Poly on Tuesday--and comes after they lost their final three regular-season games to finish third in the South Coast League.

“We have some playoff savvy,” said Ellis, whose Mustangs made the quarterfinals last season.

Hazlett (6-5) struck out seven for Irvine, which finishes the season 20-8.