Youth baseball: NHBA Bronco Blue falls, 12-9

Barry Faulkner

FOUNTAIN VALLEY - A strong first impression turned into second

thoughts for the Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco “A”

All-Stars, who saw a 5-0 lead turn into a 12-9 loss to Dana Point Red

Wednesday in the first round of the Bronco District 2 Tournament at Mile

Square Park.

Newport’s 11- and 12-year-old standouts banged out five hits and

scored five runs in their first at-bat, after starting pitcher Nathan

Todd struck out the side.

But Newport then began squandering offensive opportunities and

enhancing Dana Point innings with defensive lapses.

And, after Dana Point scored three in the sixth, it had doubled the

score, 12-6, on the locals.

“I thought our pitchers pitched well, but our defense let us down a

little,” Newport Harbor Manager Rich Hogan said of his team’s four

errors.

Newport also was victimized on the base paths, where it had four

runners caught stealing and another nailed trying to stretch a single

into a double.

The combination of inefficient baserunning and a lack of clutch hits,

helped Dana Point assume and maintain command.

Newport Harbor, which stranded 16 runners in the seven-inning game,

rallied for three in the seventh and had the potential winning run at the

plate.

But a line shot back to the box with the bases loaded was fielded by

pitcher Bradley Paul, who threw to first for the game-ending out.

“The good news was the way our guys hustled and kept battling, even

when we were down by six,” Hogan said.

There was plenty of good news for Newport Harbor, which had at least

three hitters reach base in every inning and flashed some sparkling

defense, as well.

Brett Houten went 4 for 4 with an RBI and scored two runs to pace

Newport’s 20-hit attack.

Brothers Niko and Junior Hernandez were both 3 for 4 and each had two

RBIs. Niko also scored two runs and made his team’s best defensive play

at second base. He ranged to his left to track down a grounder bound for

right field and recovered his balance in time to make the throw to first

for the out to end the Dana Point sixth.

Brennan Davis, who went 2 for 5 with an RBI, also made a nice

defensive play, backhanding a fly ball to right on the run to deny Dana

Point its fourth extra-base hit.

Shortstop Jarrett Daniel, catcher Thomas Southern, as well as Chris

LoMenzo, also had two hits apiece and LoMenzo shook off a line shot off

the inside of his right ankle to stay in the game during his 3 1/3

innings of relief.

Daniel, Houten and Niko Hernandez also stole a base in the first

inning, before Dana Point catcher Brian Park shut down the Newport

running game.

Drew Harris was 1 for 1 with two walks and an RBI and Todd added a hit

for Newport Harbor, which continues in the eight-team double-elimination

tournament Saturday at 9 a.m. at Mile Square Park.