Newport stars fall short, 4-1

Steve Virgen

It’s difficult to believe that one player can make the difference in

baseball’s 12-year-old level, but that was the case at Del Obispo

Field in Dana Point Saturday.

The Newport Harbor Baseball Association’s Bronco A All-Stars could

not answer what Dillon Baxter had to offer. Baxter, who pitched a

complete-game three-hitter, went 3 for 3, scored two runs and pounded

a three-run home run in the fourth to lead the San Diego North City

All-Stars to a 4-1 victory over NHBA in the Dana Point Summer

Classic.

“He was the difference,” NHBA Manager Rich Hogan said. “He’s one

of the top 12-year-olds around here.”

Through three innings, the game appeared to be a pitchers’ duel,

as Baxter and Newport’s Jack Yeager battled through the three

scoreless frames. But then came the fourth, when Baxter sent a

full-count pitch over the fence in left field.

Aside from Baxter, only two other San Diego North City players had

hits. Yeager tossed four innings of duty on the mound. He struck out

three and retired the side in order in the third. Austin Wobrock

pitched the final three innings, striking out two and scattering just

two hits.

“Our pitchers pitched really well,” Hogan said. “Dillan Freiberg

and Ryan Albert had good games with the bat. Jacob McCann at

shortstop was awesome and Austin Deyan at first played real well.”

Freiberg, Albert and Wobrock had one hit each. Albert singled in

the first when the NHBA All-Stars left the bases loaded. NHBA, the

designated visiting team, left two stranded in the sixth and finished

the game with seven left on base.

With one out in the fifth, Freiberg helped NHBA avoid the shutout.

He doubled with a fly off the wall in left.

Freiberg advanced to third on a passed ball. He scored on Deyan’s

slow comebacker that resulted in a throwing error by Baxter. Just

after the ball was put in play, Freiberg left third base. Baxter

tried to throw him out when Freiberg hesitated to go back to third,

but the ball sailed just over the third baseman.

Wobrock singled in the sixth. He stole second and advanced to

third on a passed ball, but he was left stranded.

“We played East Long Beach at the Los Alamitos invitational

[Friday night],” Hogan said. “Our game ended at around 7 p.m. We won,

7-5, but I think we might have been tired in this one.”

The NHBA All-Stars did not appear so sluggish in the first inning,

when they had a great opportunity to score, but came up just short.

Wobrock led off with a walk. He stole second, but then a groundout

resulted in a 1-3-5 double play. Wobrock attempted to slide under the

tag at third, but was called out. Still, Newport loaded the bases, as

Maddox and McAnn drew walks and Albert reached on a base hit.

But Baxter ended the inning with a strikeout. Baxter struck out

seven and walked five in his three-hitter with 103 pitches. He

retired the side in order in the seventh, including a strikeout to

end the game. Alex Maddox drew three walks for Newport.

McCann, the shortstop, had three assists, displaying deft skill on

each play. He also gloved a fly ball in the second. Deyan, the first

baseman, picked up a great catch to end the sixth. He scooped a low

throw to get the runner out at first.

The NHBA All-Stars dropped to 3-3. They play three games in the

Dana Point Summer Classic with the third at 7 p.m. Monday against

Dana Point. NHBA defeated Tustin, 18-2, Thursday.