Baseball: No hits, no chance

Joseph Boo

IRVINE - Woodbridge High’s starting pitcher Eric Flagel and a

Newport Harbor lineup without starters Scott Beerer and Miguel Sandoval

were a deadly combination for the Sailors’ baseball team on Friday night.

Flagel was absolutely brilliant in throwing a no-hitter en route to an

8-0 Sea View League victory for the Warriors at Windrow Park. He struck

out 11 batters while walking three. Visiting Newport only hit two balls

out of the infield.

“Eric dominated everyone tonight,” Newport Harbor Coach Jim Kiefer said.

“I don’t care what kind of lineup you had against him. He wasn’t going to

give up a hit.”

Unfortunately for Newport (2-8, 1-5 in league), the lineup it fielded

against Flagel was missing a couple of key components. Both Beerer and

Sandoval were scratched from the game with injuries. Beerer, the Sailors’

cleanup hitter, is out indefinitely while Sandoval, their leadoff man, is

hopeful for next week.

“Put those two together,” Kiefer said about the injuries and Flagel, “and

this is what happens.”

Woodbridge (2-7, 1-4) had a 1-0 after three innings. The Warriors

threatened in the third with three singles, but they failed to score

thanks to Newport catcher Garrett Brant throwing out a runner trying to

steal second.

Then the roof caved in for the Sailors. In the fourth and fifth innings,

the Warriors pounded out four singles, two doubles, one triple, and took

advantage of three Newport errors and four hit batsmen to score seven

runs. Left-handed relief pitcher Cory Forsythe then came in and pitched 1

1/3 scoreless innings for the Sailors.

Woodbridge’s offensive outburst seemed like overkill on a night when

Flagel was in total control. Only three Sailors reached base. Newport’s

Donovan Wong walked twice and Nick Langsdorf was hit by a pitch.

Langsdorf’s base on ball came in the seventh inning and Woodbridge Coach

Dave Madrid almost pulled Flagel at that point, but he stayed in and

completed his first career no-hitter.

This was a crucial game for both teams fighting to stay within reach of

third place in league. Both Newport and Woodbridge have split two of

their scheduled three-game series, with the Sailors taking the first

decision, 6-5. The Sailors are now tied with the Warriors for fourth

place. They’re both two games behind third-place Aliso Niguel. The

Wolverines will visit Newport Wednesday.

“We’re still not out of it,” Kiefer said. “We just have to find a way to

get more runs. But our guys are going to keep working hard, they’re not

going to give up, and they’re going to keep their heads up.”

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Woodbridge 8, Newport Harbor 0

Score by innings

Newport Harbor 000 000 0 - 0 0 3

Woodbridge 100 340 x - 8 12 0

Jacobs, Forsythe (5) and Brant; Flagel and B. Martinez. W - Flagel, 1-1;

L - Jacobs, 2-4. 2B - Pearson (W), B. Martinez (W), Sandzimier (W). 3B -

B. Martinez (W).