NHBA Pony All-Stars will play for title

Newport Harbor Baseball Association’s Pony Division 13-year-old

all-star team won a pair of games over the weekend to advance to the

championship of the Dana Point tournament.

Erik Bonn, Spencer Smith and Jerry Whitney combined to hold Laguna

Niguel to two hits over seven innings in a 4-1 victory on Friday. On

Saturday, Newport Harbor exploded for seven runs in the third inning

and went on to win, 9-4, over Dana Point.

Newport Harbor improved its record to 3-0 in the tournament and

will play in the championship game on Wednesday at Dana Point at 6

p.m.

In Friday’s game, Bonn bounced back from a solo home run he

allowed in the first inning to pick up the victory. He allowed two

hits in four innings and struck out five. Smith and Whitney combined

to hold Laguna Niguel hitless over the final three innings.

Bonn also contributed at the plate, driving in a run and scoring

another. Smith added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Peter Hapke, Garrett

Gordon, Niko Hernandez, Troy Seeber and Chase Behr each picked up a

hit.

On Saturday, Newport Harbor took a 9-0 lead before allowing four

runs in the final two innings.

Tyler McGill and Hapke each pitched two scoreless innings, with

Hapke picking up the win.

Hapke also contributed with two singles, Gordon added two singles,

two runs and an RBI, while Bonn chipped in with two singles and two

RBIs.

The offensive attack was also aided buy a pair of singles from

Behr, a single and a double and an RBI from McGill, a double and an

RBI by Seeber and a single and an RBI from Smith.