Little League baseball: Winning friends ... and ballgames

Steve Virgen

MISSION VIEJO - The power of friendship became a source of strength

for the Newport Beach Little League 9- and 10-year-old All-Star B team

Saturday in its first game of the District 55 Tournament at Gilleran

Park.

When Newport Beach lost its 3-0 lead, the players never blamed one or

the other, Newport Beach Manager Pat Jones said. Instead, the Newport

Beach All-Stars used a short memory, scored two runs in the bottom of the

fifth and held off Laguna Beach for a 6-4 win.

“They’re gelling as a team, as players and friends,” Jones said.

“Which makes a huge difference. The kids are having sleepovers and pool

parties and ,to me, that’s just as important as winning -- making

friends.”

Newport Beach built its lead with three runs in the second inning.

Kevin Holland, the starting shortstop and one of many heroes for Newport

Beach, led off with a base hit. He later scored when first baseman Hunter

Alder earned an RBI. William Ham, who was walked, and Merrett Scott, who

doubled, also scored in the inning.

But, in the third inning, Laguna Beach answered with three runs, two

of which were unearned.

Laguna Beach took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning off

yet another unearned run, resulting from a throwing error.

However, the Newport Beach All-Stars rallied in the fifth. Holland

smashed a double to begin the comeback. Brad Hess then lined a hard

grounder past first base and down the left-field line. The hit moved

Holland to third and Holland came home on a passed ball to tie the score,

4-4. He sped to the plate, slid under the tag and the umpire called him

safe.

Hess also scored standing up on a passed ball to regain the lead for

Newport Beach. Matt Morris, who also played first base, scored after he

reached on a walk.

Second baseman Jeff Jones collected an RBI with a grounder that

brought Morris in to round out the scoring.

“I’ve noticed that the kids are peaking at just the right time,” Pat

Jones said. “What I’m finding out about these boys is that they never get

mad at each other. And that is a big thing for us.”

Newport Beach ended the game with sound defense. Holland came in as a

closer and induced three straight groundouts. Third baseman Max Frisbie

gloved a wicked grounder and threw to first as Morris stretched forward

to insure the second out. Shortstop Merrett Scott, who finished with a

double, got a hold of the next grounder and Morris was there again to

record the game-winning out.

Newport Beach pitcher Fletcher Delagrotta, who collected one hit,

worked five innings and he faced two batters in the sixth before Holland

came on. Dellagrotta struck out three, scattered six hits and endured

three unearned runs.

The winners will face Trabuco Hills C Tuesday at 5 p.m., at Gilleran

Park.