District 55 AAA All-Stars: Ka-Bloom!

Steve Virgen

MISSION VIEJO - On the way to the first no-hitter of his young

life, Newport Beach pitcher Michael Bloom broke an unsaid superstitious

rule because of two simple reasons. He trusted his teammates. He was

confident in his pitching.

Bloom, who talked about the no-no before the final inning, completed a

no-hitter with 10 strikeouts and three walks, leading the Newport Beach

All-Stars AAA team of 9- and 10-year-olds to a 10-1 victory over the

South Mission Viejo All-Stars Saturday at Youth Sports Park in Mission

Viejo.

Newport Beach earned its first-round victory in the District 55

All-Stars Tournament with the help of a six-run second inning, and the

all-around defense from Bloom, Michael Borchard (first base), Blake

Thomsen (second), John Christian (third), Sean Tokuyama (shortstop),

outfielders Nick Flamson, Chris Freeman and Parker Werline, and the

catcher, Joey Booth.

“The defense helped me a lot,” said Bloom, who also stood out at the

plate, cranking out a double, a single and two RBIs. “(After the final

out, I thought), I just pitched a real good game.”

Bloom said his fastball and curve were the pitches that were working

for him. He also used a wicked change-up among the 76 pitches he threw.

He worked four batters to a full count and struck out three of them. He

also assisted on three putouts at first, and retired the side in order in

the third and sixth innings.

“Michael was so fantastic,” Newport Beach All-Stars Manager Bart

Thomsen said. “He was just playing outstanding. When a guy pitches that

great, all you need is a little defense.”

The Newport Beach defense recorded crucial outs in the first, third

and fifth innings. In the first, Werline, in right field, fielded a

ground ball. He quickly made the pinpoint throw to Borchard for the out.

In the third, Tokuyama played a ground ball perfectly and fired a dart to

Borchard, who caught the ball at the very end of his glove.

Then, in the fifth, Borchard dove for a hard-hit ground ball coming

toward first base. He jumped to his feet, dove again to tag first base

and got the runner out. That’s when South Mission Viejo scored its only

run, as Brandon Whyte, who walked to reach, bolted home on the play.

The run did little damage, as the Newport Beach All-Stars had already

built an 8-0 lead after two innings. They batted around in the second

inning, after Brochard and Bloom scored in the first. Ben Capaldi, Booth,

Borchard, Werline, Bloom and Christian scored in the second. Freeman also

came with a sacrifice fly ball to center field that plated Christian for

the 8-0 lead.

Flamson, who slid home, and Booth scored in the fifth, which also saw

Booth’s double over the center fielder.

“We just have a great group of kids and a great group of parents,”

Bart Thomsen said. “They’re coming together and cheering each other on.

The guys that sit out have a good attitude and we were hitting the ball

(six hits).”

The Newport Beach All-Stars, who also feature Chase Carlile and

Deitrich Stauffer, will face Rancho Santa Margarita, Monday at 5:30 p.m.

at Youth Sports Park.