Pitcher dominates Newport

Rick Devereux

Mike Borchard, the manager of the Newport Beach American Little

League Majors All-Star baseball team, knew the pitcher his squad was

facing in the opening round of the District 55 tournament was one of

the toughest his players would step in against all year.

“He’s very tough, Borchard said of Lake Forest Blue hurler

Jonathan Kennedy. “In travel ball, we played against him and we knew

coming in that we would face a great pitcher.”

Kennedy dominated the 9-2 Lake Forest victory Monday night at the

Mission Viejo Youth Athletic Park, striking out 11 and allowing only

four hits. During one stretch, he retired 13 of 14 batters.

“He’s as good as they get, as good as we’ve seen in baseball and

travel ball,” Lake Forest Coach Doug Fields said. “We always expect

that out of him.”

Lake Forest provided ample offense to support Kennedy, scoring

nine runs off 13 hits.

The Blue offense began to roll in the third inning. Colin

Zavrsnick hit a dribbler down the third-base line and advanced to

second when the throw sailed into right field. A sacrifice bunt by

Aaron Kasser mover him to third base and Dusty Orrantia’s single to

right field gave Lake forest the lead.

A walk to Kennedy, followed by a single by Garrett Donohoe, loaded

the bases with two outs. Cody Fields smacked a two-run double to

right field to increase the lead to 3-0.

Lake Forest’s hot bats continued in the fourth inning. Newport

Beach pitcher John Doering got the first two batters he faced, but

opportune hits ignited a rally that put the game away.

Zavrsnick, the No. 9 batter in the lineup, singled and advanced to

second on a throwing error. A single by Kasser, past a diving Michael

Borchard at shortstop, moved Zavrsnick to third, and Zavrsnick scored

on Orrantia’s single to right. Kennedy singled and then Donohoe

crushed a ball over the left-field fence for a three-run home run to

make it 8-0.

Lake Forest added a run in the fifth on a passed ball.

Newport Beach had trouble getting any offense started. The four

hits were balanced with two in the first and two in the sixth and

final inning. The locals produced their runs in that sixth, hoping to

take advantage of a tiring Kennedy on the mound. Sean Tokuyama

walked, advanced two bases on a passed ball and scored on Doering’s

chopper up the middle.

Borchard hit into a fielder’s choice that forced Doering out at

second base. Borchard advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed

ball. He eventually scored on a single by Parker Werline.

But the lucky bounces for Lake Forest in the fourth were the big

difference in the game.

“That’s one of those innings where you go and get two outs, they

get what I like to call a ‘seeing-eye hit,’ and [then we’re behind],”

the elder Borchard said. “I walked out of that inning thinking, ‘How

did they get five runs?’ They really didn’t hit the ball until they

got that home run.”

Doering threw 95 pitches, 45 in the fourth inning alone, over five

innings. He struck out six.

Newport Beach continues in the double-elimination tournament,

facing Rancho Niguel Friday at 7:30 p.m.