NHBA: From start to finish, Dodgers are champs

Steve Virgen

NEWPORT BEACH - The team concept was on full display in the Newport

Harbor Baseball Association’s Mustang (ages 9-10) Division title game

between the Dodgers and the Mariners at Kaiser Elementary Saturday.

The Dodgers (18-3) used a combined effort that led them to a 10-3

victory for the championship.

The Mariners (16-7), however, would not have reached the title game

without teamwork. After finishing fourth during the regular season, they

earned a shot at the championship by taking the long route in the

playoffs, overcoming two losses with five wins.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers remained in first from start to finish. They

were always the team to beat.

After the championship victory, Dodgers Manager Mike Griffin

distributed trophies to his players and handed out the game ball.

He told his team: “This game ball goes to the team because this was a

team effort.”

The Dodgers scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The

five runs is the maximum allowed in the Mustang division and the Dodgers

gave up their at-bat with only one out. Garrett McRoberts started things

off with a huge triple and he turned to home after an error, for the

Dodgers’ first run.

Daniel Norris, Jeff Frum, Brendan Cluck and Victor Done also scored as

Done laid a sweet bunt to get on base, earning an RBI.

The Mariners held the Dodgers scoreless until the fifth inning when

the Dodgers reached the maximum five runs again.

This time, Frum stepped up with a bases-clearing double, which scored

Norris, McRoberts and David Panas. Peter Thomsen also scored in that

inning and Chris Griffin’s RBI, scored Frum.

The Mariners scored one run in the second inning and two more in the

fifth. Shortstop Adrian Rodriguez, who led off with a single scored Macky

Gautschi’s RBI. Then, in the fifth, Garrett Morgan used some savvy

base-running after an error in the outfield and rounded the bases after

his fly ball. Keegan Jukosky also scored. He singled, stole two bases and

Zachary Chocek’s RBI single brought him in.

Chris Griffin pitched the first three innings for the Dodgers,

allowing just two hits as he struck out four.

NEWPORT HARBOR BASEBALL ASSOCIATION

MUSTANG DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

Dodgers

12 Garrett McRoberts

19 Daniel Norris 15 Jeff Frum

21 Chris Griffin

17 Braden Cluck

16 Victor Done

20 Justin Cotham

14 Max Jolliffe

18 Jeff Alee

22 Peter Thomsen

13 David Panas

Manager: Mike Griffin

Coaches:Jeff Frum and Joe De La Fuente

Mariners

6 Adrian Rodriguez

11 Joshua Jaye

5 Darren Leggett

2 Parker Norton

3 Keegan Jukosky

9 Garrett Morgan

4 Bryce Fuller

8 Zachary Chocek

7 Macky Gautschi

10 Sean MacInnis 1 Spencer Martinez

Manager: Kurt Jaye

Coach: Kirk Norton