Newport Harbor Broncos on a title run

Newport’s Harbor’s Bronco “A” (11- and 12-year-olds) All-Stars

didn’t leave much suspense in reaching the district finals.

In an explosive fourth inning, Newport Harbor scored 11 runs to

put away Anaheim in five innings, 14-3, and advanced to Sunday’s

district championship game.

Nick Svendsen led the way in the RBI category for Newport,

collecting an impressive six on the day, and went 1 for 3 with a home

run. Danny Moskovits went 3 for 3 with two singles and a double, and

drove in three runs.

Adrian Rodriguez went 2 for 3 with an RBI while Peter Hapke went 2

for 4 and Niko Hernandez finished 2 for 2 with an RBI.

Also contributing offensively for Newport were Jackson Massingill

(1 for 2), Andrew Kaban (1 for 2 with a double and RBI) and Ben

Frazier (1 for 3).

Svendsen pitched five innings with five strikeouts.

In earlier tournament action:

* Fountain Valley 15, Newport 9 -- In a seventh inning that saw a

combined 16 runs, Newport couldn’t overcome a 15-0 deficit and lost

its second-round game to Fountain Valley.

Newport scored nine runs in the seventh with offense from the

following: Frazier (3 for 4 with two triples and three RBIs),

Rodriguez (2 for 3, one RBI), Kaban (2 for 3), Hapke (2 for 4 with

two RBIs), Erik Bonn (2 for 4, one RBI), R.J. D’Cruz (1 for 3),

Hernandez (1 for 4), Troy Seeber (1 for 4), Svendsen (1 for 1, two

RBIs).

Newport used three pitchers in the defeat including Danny

Moskovits (four innings, two strikeouts), Brock Schuler (two innings,

one strikeout) and D’Cruz for one inning.

* Newport 11, Los Alamitos 8 -- Led by the strong pitching of

Moskovits and Svendsen, Newport won its district-tournament opener

over Los Alamitos.

Svendsen and Moskovits combined to pitch seven innings, each

finishing with four strikeouts.

Moskovits hit his second home run in All-Star competition as

Massingill caught all seven innings, throwing out two base stealers.

Newport’s offense was supplied by Frazier (4 for 4 with two

doubles and three RBIs), Moskovits (3 for 3 with two RBIs), D’Cruz (2

for 3 with three RBIs), Hernandez (2 for 4, two RBIs), and Hapke,

Rodriguez and Bonn, who each went 1 for 3.

NHBA Mustangs romp

Newport Harbor is showing no mercy in its quest for All-Star

supremacy.

The Newport Harbor Mustang A (9- and 10-year-old) All-Star team

has outscored its first two District 2 opponents 35-5, and faced Dana

Point A in the district finals Sunday.

“Our kids have been hitting for awhile in other tournaments as

well,” said Newport Manager Rich Hogan. “It’s been a total team

effort.”

Newport defeated St. Hedwig, 16-2, in the district opener and

humbled Fountain Valley, 19-3, in their second tournament game.

“The coaches on the other team were pretty impressed when they saw

our hitters,” Hogan said. “It’s been more doubles than anything else,

more line-drive gaps.”

Justin Todd has homered, Chad Seeber has doubled three times,

Daniel Norris has tripled while Alex Maddox has a double and Chris

Gowdy has hit one to the fence in district play.

Ryan Albert, Jacob McCann, Todd and Blake Davey have pitched well

for Newport in their two tournament games.

Newport Beach National 9-10s fall

Though the score didn’t turn out the way he wanted it, Manager Ken

Gerdau of the Newport Beach National 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars was

still pleased with his team’s effort Saturday afternoon, a day after

his team suffered a 7-6 extra-inning defeat at the hands of Laguna

Hills in a loser’s bracket semifinal in the Little League District 55

Area B All-Stars Tournament.

“They went a lot further than I expected, it was a great effort,”

Gerdau said.

With the score tied 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh and Laguna

Hills’ runners on second and third, Gerdau decided to intentionally

walk the next batter to load the bases, creating a double-play

situation.

Strategically, Gerdau said it was the right move, but it didn’t

materialize. The pitch wound up a little too close to the plate and

the hitter blasted the ball over the center fielder’s head, giving

Laguna Hills the win.

“With runners on second and third, it made a ground ball

double-play situation,” Gerdau said.

Newport led 6-3 going into the bottom of the fifth, but Laguna

Hills fought its way back, scoring two in the fifth and one in the

sixth to tie it before winning it in the seventh.

The see-saw battle had Laguna Hills taking an early 2-0 lead, but

Newport responded with three in the top of the third to take the lead

and scored another in the fourth to go up, 4-2. Laguna Hills cut the

lead to 4-3 before Newport increased the lead to 6-3.

John Doering pitched six innings and added an RBI double, while

Jack Gerdau had two hits and Parker Stone knocked in two runs.

Cameron Koziara had two RBIs for Newport, as well.

Gerdau played strong at shortstop, throwing out a runner

attempting to score as catcher Tommy Colton applied the tag. Cory

Vitalo played solidly at third.

NHBA Pony splits a pair

Newport Harbor Baseball Association Pony 13-year-olds reached the

District 2 quarterfinals, going 1-1 in tournament play.

Newport beat Placentia, 6-5, in its second tournament game, an

elimination game in which Drew Harris came in to pitch with the bases

loaded in the fourth inning and gave up one run.

P.J. Errington went 2 for 2 and Zippy Levy went 2 for 3 with a

double to lead the offense.

In prior tournament action:

* Garden Grove 14, NHBA 13 - A 17-hit attack wasn’t enough for

Newport Harbor as it lost its district tournament-opener to Garden

Grove.

Garden Grove scored seven runs in the seventh inning for the win.

Nathan Todd (five hits), Jarrett Daniel (four hits) and Brett

Houten and Dan Winkle (three hits apiece) led Newport Harbor’s

offense.