Newport outlasts Paramount, 6-5

Steve Virgen

The Newport Harbor High baseball team had to play 12 innings to get

back on the winning track Tuesday, when Greg Miner scored on Kyle

Kastner’s sacrifice fly in the Sailors’ 6-5 wild victory over

Paramount in a 13th-place semifinal in the Pride of the Coast

tournament at Costa Mesa.

The Sailors (8-6), which had won three in a row, then dropped two

straight in the tournament, carried a 5-1 lead into the seventh

inning. But the Pirates (5-9), the designated visiting team, rallied

with four runs to send the game into extra innings.

Kastner, a junior varsity call-up, worked the final five innings

for the Sailors, striking out three and shutting out Paramount to

earn his first varsity win.

Miner helped the cause. He went 2 for 3, including a two-run home

run. He was also walked twice and he reached on an error.

In the 12th inning, with one out, Miner slammed a triple that hit

the fence in left-center field. The ball appeared to be misplayed by

the left fielder.

The Pirates intentionally walked Andre Pinesett and he advanced on

his second stolen base of the game. Kastner then came up with the

game-winning sacrifice fly to left field. Miner slid before the ball

arrived and celebrated with his teammates shortly thereafter.

Newport Harbor will face Estancia today at noon at the Sailors’

diamond in the 13th-place game.

“I was just glad we got out of there with the win,” Miner said.

“We played good as a team, but we need to get better.”

The Sailors’ first three runs came unearned, as Brandon Jasper and

Joey Cantarella each scored on passed balls to give Newport Harbor a

2-0 lead in the first inning. Cantarella led the Sailors with a

3-for-5 performance that came with two runs and a stolen base.

Jasper also scored two runs, the latter coming in the fifth

inning, when Karo Makserjian’s double caused an error in left field,

allowing Makserjian to advance to third and Jasper to score.

Canterella then reached on a fielder’s choice, as Makserjian was

tagged out at the plate after Cantarella’s bunt.

Miner followed with his two-run blast that cleared the fence in

left field, which put Newport up, 5-0. The Pirates answered with a

run in the sixth. Then, with a single and two errors, they loaded the

bases with no outs in the seventh.

Trailing, 5-4, with two outs, Paramount tied the score on an

error. The Sailors got out of the ending after an infield pop out.

In the top of the 12th, Cantarella completed a key defensive play.

With a runner on second, Paramount freshman Hector Uribe belted the

ball to left field. The Pirates’ runner attempted to score from

second, but Cantarella threw him out at the plate, with a pinpoint

throw to Newport catcher Jeff Sanchez, who tagged him out.

“After getting no-hit on Saturday and losing with some poor play

Monday, we’ll take this win,” Sailors Coach Joel Desguin said. “I’m

glad we won but I’m still not satisfied with the performance.”

*--*

Pride of the Coast tournament

13th-place semifinal

Newport Harbor 6, Paramount 5 (12

innings)

Score by Innings

P’mount 000 001 400 000 -- 5 11 2

Newport 200 030 000 001 -- 6 10 6

Lara, Gomez (6) and Gutierrez,

Aguilar (10); Keehan, Jasper (7),

Kastner (8) and Sanchez. W --

Kastner, 1-0. L -- Lara. 2B --

Keehan (NH), Cantarella (NH),

Jasper (NH). 3B -- Miner (NH). HR

-- Miner (NH).

*--*