Newport suffers first tourney loss

Bryce Alderton

There were several firsts for the Newport Beach Little League

American 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars after their 7-1 quarterfinal

loss in the District 55 tournament Wednesday against South Mission

Viejo at Heroes Park.

Newport lost for the first time in three tournament games. South

Mission Viejo became the first team to score against Newport, which

had defeated its prior two opponents, 27-0. And, for many Newport

hitters, it was the first time they faced a pitcher with who not only

threw curveballs, but had command of where they crossed the plate.

South Mission Viejo starter Spencer Fabian fanned eight and walked

three in a three-hitter that came on the heels of an 11-strikeout,

two-hit shutout in his prior tournament appearance.

Wednesday’s loss sent Newport (2-1) to the loser’s bracket, where

they will face either Ladera or Viejo at 9 a.m. Saturday. Newport

needs to win three straight to reach Tuesday’s championship game in

the double-elimination tournament.

“You have to tip your hat to [Fabian],” Newport Manager Mark

Murtaugh said. “He threw the curveball for strikes and stayed around

the plate. Our kids don’t see curveballs in the regular season.”

Newport jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on

Tommy Shaw’s sacrifice fly to left field that scored leadoff hitter

Zach Murtaugh. But Fabian, with help from a defense that didn’t

commit an error, allowed just one runner to reach second the rest of

the game.

“[Fabian] kept batters off balance, which is his trait,” South

Mission Viejo Manager Russ Ortega said. “I knew [Newport] was a good

club as far as runs go. But when you’ve got a 10-year-old that throws

hard, it’s tough to figure out what he is going to throw next.”

Newport starting pitcher Tommy Shaw also went the full six

innings, striking out one while retiring seven in a row before South

Mission Viejo’s Dallas Porter led off the sixth with an infield

single that ignited a three-run inning to pad a 4-1 lead.

Shaw was victimized by Newport’s only error in an inning that

included Jeff Ortega’s two-RBI double, his second two-bagger of the

game. Ortega finished 2 for 3 with five RBIs.

“[Shaw] pitched well. I wanted to stay with what was working,”

Mark Murtaugh said. “[South Mission Viejo] made great plays. It was a

lot closer than 7-1. [Jeff Ortega] ripped the ball. What can you

say?”

Jeff Ortega, the No. 2 batter, cleared the bases with a double to

the right-center-field gap in the second inning, giving South Mission

Viejo (4-0) a 3-1 lead.

Two batters later, Fabian brought home Ortega with a grounder that

hit the edge of the infield grass and dirt, bouncing over the glove

of shortstop Cort Hastings and into left field.

On the play, South Mission Viejo could have scored another run,

but Hastings’ relay throw to catcher Connor Gaal beat a sliding Mick

Voigt and Newport got out of the inning.

Hastings and Conor Roche each slid on one knee to catch line

drives.

Gaal and Zach Murtaugh each singled while Shaw tallied Newport’s

only extra-base hit -- a double in the fourth.

Zach Murtaugh went 1 for 1 with two walks while Chip Zucker also

walked.

“Sometimes you go out and just get beat,” Mark Murtaugh said.

“Both teams played well.”