Mesa has eye on first playoff win

Melanie Neff

Costa Mesa High’s softball team will try to shake off some of the

shadows from the past, as the Mustangs open the CIF Southern Section

Division III playoffs today at home.

The Golden West League champions are looking to win their first

playoff game when they play host to Redondo today at 3:15 p.m.

Costa Mesa (17-10) won its first league title this season, after

moving from the Pacific Coast League to the Golden West. Now the

Mustangs are hoping their playoff run can also be golden.

The Mustangs have the offense to get it done, led by senior

shortstop Ann Marie Topps, who is headed to the University of Oregon

next fall. Topps, a two-time All-Southern Section selection, is

batting .507, connecting on 37 of 73 at-bats. She set a single-season

school record with 11 home runs and has 41 runs batted in, ranking

her in the top 10 in the Southern Section. She has six doubles, five

triples and 14 stolen bases. It was the Topps who knocked in the

winning run against Saddleback to give the Mustangs the league title.

The rest of the lineup isn’t too bad either, with senior

outfielder Jade Moss batting .351 with 14 stolen bases and 20 runs

scored. Along with Moss and Topps, Uyen Mai leads the team with 18

stolen bases. Jane-e Yamamoto has 16.

They will have their hands full with Redondo, which has won four

of its last five games, all shutouts. The Seahawks, who finished tied

for second in the Ocean League, have seven shutouts this season.

“Their pitcher is very good, she has a scholarship to the

University of Minnesota, so she is going to be tough,” Mustangs’

Coach Rick Buonarigo said.

Jackie Butler and Yamamoto have handled the pitching duties for

the Mustangs this season.

Butler, who will start today, is 11-4 in 95 1/3 innings, with a

1.47 earned-run average. She has 53 strikeouts, 44 walks and only 11

of the 20 runs against her are earned. Yamamoto pitched in five games

when Butler was hurt. She compiled a 6-3 record in 49 1/3 innings of

work with a 1.43 ERA. She’ll bat cleanup today, playing second base

for the Mustangs.

“[Butler] is still a little sore, but she is ready to go,”

Buonarigo said. “Everyone is pretty healthy for us right now. If we

can play some good defense we should be OK.”