Tennis great Martina Navratilova, along with...

Tennis great Martina Navratilova, along with teammates Kelly

Everndon and Brett Steven that make up TeamTennis, hand the Newport

Beach Dukes their worst loss in their three-year history, a 30-13

drubbing, before a near-sellout crowd of 2,250 at the John Wayne

Tennis Club. Navratilova questions why tournament officials require

the players to wear white and said that she is irked when people

focus on her age instead of her accomplishments. Dukes’ Coach Greg

Patton said playing against Martina is like picking up a date,

“You’re so nervous that you forget to put your foot on the brakes and

you end up hitting the accelerator.”

Costa Mesa Senior Little Leaguers (ages 14-15) advance to the

second round of district tournament play at Robinwood following a 6-4

win over Fountain Valley. Juan Ortiz gets the win, striking out three

and walking two, while Jason Szolomeyer gets the save. The see-saw

affair saw Costa Mesa take a 2-1 lead in the first, then battle back

to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second. Costa Mesa turns

three double plays in the win.

Newport East Little Leaguers know how to put on their rally caps

as they score five runs in the bottom of the fifth to stun

Saddleback, 6-5, in the loser’s bracket of the District 55 All-Star

Tournament. The win follows an earlier come-from-behind 4-3 win for

Newport in the tournament. Down 5-0, Newport starting pitcher Ryan

Lewis calms down and retires eight batters in a row at one point,

finishing the game with 11 strikeouts. The fifth-inning rally is

sparked by Greg Coon’s bunt hit followed by singles from Ty Harper

and Mike Hollern. Ryan Cooper collects an RBI and Derek Zahler laces

a single to left to bring in a run. Coon, batting for the second time

in the inning, singles to left to score the eventual winning run.

Eric Bottomley was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.

Costa Mesa American Little League wins the inaugural game of the

Mayor’s Cup that pits the Majors Divisions teams from Costa Mesa

American vs. Costa Mesa National Little League. Costa Mesa American

wins the first game of the best-of-three series, 12-1, as American

right-hander Renny Jackson strikes out 10 while allowing four hits.

Jackson also goes 2 for 3 with three RBIs, launching a blistering

solo home run to left center in the fourth inning. A six-run third

sees the American team post five singles. Danny Krikorian hits a

two-run single and Michael McGuire goes 4 for 4 with a two-run homer

and two doubles. The National League’s Sean Weikel goes 2 for 2 with

a double, single and walk. Costa Mesa goes on to win the next game,

9-2 over the National team.

Doubles partners Bob Duesler (Newport Beach) and Hank Leichtfried

win the USTA National Men’s 50 and 55 Hard Court Championships by

beating Mill Valley’s Geof Grant and Gordon Smith, 6-2, 6-3.

Costa Mesa Athletic Director Jerry Howell announces the hiring of

38-year-old Rick Buonarigo as the school’s softball coach. Buonarigo,

in his third stint as Mesa’s softball coach, becomes the Mustangs’

third softball coach in three years, replacing Pacita Vasquez. --

compiled by Bryce Alderton