Baseball: Sailors fall to Laguna Hills

Tony Altobelli

NEWPORT BEACH - Pitching counts, key hits and one right arm all

became major factors against the Newport Harbor High baseball team in

Friday’s 9-4 Sea View League loss to visiting Laguna Hills.

The hitter-happy Hawks produced 13 hits, including a three-run double

by Steve Stelling and a two-run single by Daniel Miltenberger. As a

pitcher, Miltenberger’s right arm produced a complete-game five-hitter

with five strikeouts.

“Daniel is a warrior out there,” Newport Coach Jim Kiefer said. “Even

when his fastball was not as strong, he still got outs with his breaking

stuff. You only get one or two chances against a pitcher like that and we

didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”

After Laguna Hills (4-3, 2-0 in league) jumped out to a 2-0 lead,

Newport (3-3, 0-2) managed to tie the score in the second inning thanks

to three Hawks’ errors and an RBI single by Jon Vandersloot. Laguna Hills

battled out of the jam with an inning-ending double play to avoid further

damage.

The stalemate didn’t last too long as the Hawks answered with four

runs in the third inning, three coming off of Stelling’s bases-loaded

double.

“Our pitchers are going to be successful when the get ahead of the

hitters,” Kiefer said. “We fell behind in the count too many times and a

good hitting team like Laguna Hills will take advantage of that.”

Newport Harbor loaded the bases with nobody out, thanks to a

hit-by-pitch from Chris Ward, a double by Cody Forsythe and a walk to Jim

Erickson.

Vandersloot and Mike Johns each drove in runs with out-producing

grounders, but a golden opportunity to get even went by the boards.

With Newport trailing, 6-4, Laguna Hills tried to extend its lead in

the fifth inning. With runners on first and second, Hawks’ rightfielder

Chris turner sent a fly ball into left-center. Newport sophomore Ryan

Tunney raced from left field, battled the sun and made a stellar catch

ending the threat.

The excitement from Tunney’s defense evaporated in the sixth inning.

The Hawks loaded the bases and scored three times. Miltenberger drove in

two with a single and Kevin Barnum followed with an RBI hit of his own.

Wong went 2 for 3 with a run scored, while Ward reached base twice and

scored both times on Vandersloot grounders.

“We’ve just got to get better,” Kiefer said. “And I think we’re on the

right track. We’ve just got to tighten up some things.”

SEA VIEW LEAGUE

Laguna Hills 9, Newport Harbor 4

Laguna Hills 204 003 0 - 9 13 3

Newport Harbor 020 200 0 - 4 5 1

Miltenberger and Hicks; Glenn, Ward (4) and Brant. W - Miltenberger. L

- Glenn, 0-1. 2B - Hollenbeck (LH), Anderson (LH), Forsythe (NH).