NHBA baseball: Newport rolls up runs in Los Al Tourney

LOS ALAMITOS - An eight-run first inning propelled the Newport

Harbor Baseball Association Bronco Division A team (ages 11-12) to a 14-6 victory over Garden Grove in the Los Alamitos Invitational Tournament.

Eight Newport players got at least one hit, including Erik Bonn, Niko

Hernandez, Danny Moskovits, Peter Hapke, Ben Frazier, Nick Svendsen,

Brock Schuler and Adrian Rodriguez.

Newport catcher Jackson Massingill caught four innings and R.J. D’Cruz

made some clutch plays at shortstop. Massingill was on the receiving end

of a relay throw as Schuler picked up a ball at the fence, threw it to

the cutoff man, Svendsen, who then relayed the throw to Massingill, who

tagged the Garden Grove runner out at the plate.

Bonn threw out two runners attempting to steal.

Newport scored four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to secure

the win after Garden Grove began chipping away at the lead with single

runs in the first and second and two runs in both the third and fourth

innings.

Newport starting pitcher Hernandez threw three innings, before being

relieved by Svendsen, who also pitched three innings, allowing one earned

run and striking out two.

In earlier tournament action:

* Newport 12, Irvine 2 - Newport Beach’s Bronco A team came out with a

five-run first inning and cruised to the win over Irvine in opening-round

action of the Los Alamitos Invitational Tournament.

The top of Newport’s order, Niko Hernandez, R.J. D’Cruz and Erik Bonn,

reached base eight times in nine combined plate appearances and scored

seven runs in the victory.

Jackson Massingill and Peter Hapke had RBIs in Newport’s first inning,

as Brock Schuler and Nick Svendsen each pitched three strong innings,

combining to limit Irvine to four hits.

Dan Moskovits, Andrew Kaban and Hapke each had hits, as Newport’s

defense was led by center fielder Ben Frazier, Troy Seeber and Adrian

Rodriguez.

* East Long Beach 11, Newport 1 -- Newport suffered its second

tournament defeat, as Ben Frazier, who had two hits, knocked in Newport’s

only run with a double to score Troy Seeber, who had singled.

Erik Bonn had two hits and Niko Hernandez added another hit. Andrew

Kaban caught a rising line drive in left field for Newport, as Dan

Moskovits, R.J. D’Cruz and Peter Hapke shared pitching duties.

Newport continues tournament play with games against Los Alamitos A

Saturday and La Mirada A Sunday.

In Pinto tournament play:

* Newport Harbor 4, Los Alamitos 0 - Newport’s Max Richley tripled to

bring in the game’s first run and pitched three scoreless innings at

Garden Grove.

Newport showed some defense, with Hamilton Randle throwing out a

runner trying to steal third and Jordan Desquin throwing a runner out at

home from center field.

Nick McCann played a solid third base and J.D. Dawn pitched three

scoreless innings.

Matt Porteous had two RBIs for the winners.