NBLL Majors: Nationals eliminated

Tony Altobelli

MISSION VIEJO - The Newport Beach Little League Major Division

National All-Stars dodged numerous bullets from the Viejo All-Stars

before a three-run bomb destroyed the locals’ village.

Thanks to a three-run home run by Viejo’s Cory Goodchild, Newport saw

its stay in the District 55 Tournament come to a disappointing end with a

6-3 loss Thursday afternoon at the Mission Viejo Youth Sports Park.

Goodchild’s blast, combined with six Newport errors were just too much

to overcome, according to Manager Chris Telles.

“That’s Little League baseball for you,” Telles said. “We didn’t get

the big hits when we needed them and we didn’t make the plays we needed

to make.”

Early in the game, it was the Viejo squad which couldn’t come up with

the big hit. In innings two through four, Viejo left the bases loaded all

three times and had only one unearned run to show for it.

Newport starting pitcher Scott Colton gave up seven hits in the first

four innings, but managed to come up with the big pitch when it counted

most.

“Scotty pitched great for us,” Telles said. “He managed to pitch in

and out to the hitters and had a nice assortment of fastballs and

breaking stuff. He managed to keep them off-balance for the first part of

the game.”

Unfortunately, Viejo learned from the first four innings and managed

to extend its lead in the fifth. After two walks, Goodchild hit the first

pitch thrown at him and sent it over the center-field fence, giving Viejo

a 4-0 lead.

“You could tell the other team was making adjustments from their first

couple of at-bats,” Telles said.

Two Newport errors extended the frame for Nick Covyeau, who smacked a

two-run double for a 6-0 Viejo advantage. “We had burned three pitchers

in our first game, so we stuck with Scott,” Telles said. “Our defense

didn’t make the plays for him.”

After five innings of quiet bats, Newport finally came to life in the

sixth. Sam Stafford doubled to center and Colton moved Stafford to third

with a single, bringing up Kelsey Chase.

With a 1-2 count, Chase found a pitch to his liking and launched a

three-run home run far beyond the center-field fence, giving Newport some

hope.

“He’s one of our best hitters and after we took him out early, I

wanted to make sure he would be put in a position to help our team,”

Telles said. “He’s a real strong kid and that home run proved it.”

But Viejo pitcher Tyler Gruden regrouped and retired the side with no

further damage. He scattered eight hits over six innings and struck out

four, while walking two. “We ran out of innings,” Telles said.

Stafford had two hits, while William O’Brien, Nick Pike, Ryan Telles

and Tyler Brady also added key hits for Newport.

“Tyler is a gem,” Chris Telles said. “He’s one of the best defensive

first basemen in the league, if not the district.”