NHBA Pony 13s: Newport edged by Saddleback

Tony Altobelli

FULLERTON - There was no more late-inning magic in the bats of the

Newport Harbor Baseball Association Pony 13 All-Star team.

Following Wednesday’s dramatic 12-11 win over Corona del Mar in which

Newport scored six runs with no outs in the final inning, one would have

thought the locals had Saddleback right where they wanted them.

But a 1-2-3 seventh inning was all Newport could generate and the

locals were eliminated from the District/Sectional Tournament, 4-2,

Friday night at Amerige Park.

“I truly believe that we played better in this game than the last

game,” Newport Manager Ron Salisbury said. “We pitched very well, we

played great defense and we got plenty of hits. We made a couple of

mistakes and that cost us, but it was still a great effort.”

Newport scored first in the top of the first inning when Nick Frazier

singled to center, stole second, advanced to third on a Saddleback

throwing error and scored on a passed ball.

Saddleback answered in its first at-bat when Daniel Prause doubled to

left, advanced to third on a Newport error and scored on a single by

Michael Shuluk.

From there, it was a battle on the mound as both teams’ hurlers shut

the other team down for the next three innings.

Frazier pitched three strong innings, allowing only four hits and one

strikeout, while reliever Tyler Parker pitched a scoreless fourth inning.

“Nick is a terrific athlete and he loves baseball,” Salisbury said. “I

had him on my regular season team and I’d take him on my team every

year.”

Newport regained the lead, 2-1, in the fifth when Parker singled to

left, used the spacious dimensions to advance all the way to third on a

passed ball and scored on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Blake

Fogg.

That lead was short-lived, however as Saddleback answered with three

runs in the bottom half of the fifth.

Shaun Lawler hit a towering home run to left to tie the game and four

straight singles by Prause, Steven Howard, Ricki Campbell and Shuluk gave

Saddleback a 4-2 advantage.

Newport’s best chance to rally came in the top of the sixth when Chris

Thompson singled and went to second on an error by Saddleback’s second

baseman. Billy Munce followed with a single to center and Thompson

scored, or so Newport thought.

As requested by a half-dozen screaming Saddleback fans, the play was

appealed and the runner was called out for missing home plate, keeping

the score, 4-2.

Saddleback pitcher Lawler, who pitched a complete game, gave up a

single to Dustin Schuler and a walk to Philip Martin later in the inning,

but Newport could not score.

“It was a tough break, but we didn’t have a single kid lose his

attitude,” Salisbury said. “This team was a joy to be around and I wish I

could coach them every year.”