Bronco All-Stars dropped in title game

Barry Faulkner

The Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco division Blue

All-Stars may have come away with the smaller trophy Saturday in the

championship game of the Dana Point tournament at Del Obispo Park.

But one might assert the 12-year-old locals gained the bigger

boost in morale than heavily favored Fountain Valley, which

prevailed, 5-3.

Fountain Valley improved to 7-2-1 in All-Star competition, adding

yet another tournament title to a baseball program that is highly

regarded in youth baseball circles.

But for Newport Harbor, which was beaten by Fountain Valley, 10-2,

earlier in the tournament and opened predistrict tournament play

0-9-1 before winning twice in the four-game Dana Point event, the

loss, arguably, marked its most credible result to date.

“[Fountain Valley] is one of the better teams in the Bronco

Division [for 11- and 12-year-olds, though both teams are comprised

exclusively of 12-year-old players],” Newport Harbor Manager Aaron

Rios said. “So the fact that it was such a close game should make us

happy. We demonstrated we can battle with a very good team.”

Newport Harbor, in fact, erased Fountain Valley’s first lead when

Angelo Angelides singled with one out in the second, stole second,

went to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch to

make it 1-1.

Fountain Valley, which doubled Newport Harbor’s five hits, rapped

out four hits to score twice in the bottom of the second.

The designated home team used a pair of doubles to score again in

the third, then took advantage of a Newport Harbor error to tally its

final run in the fourth.

After relief pitcher Michael Salam held Fountain Valley scoreless

in the fifth, Newport Harbor, which had only one hit through four,

awakened its aluminum.

Austin Bagby’s leadoff liner to right field was hit so hard, he

had to hustle to beat the right-fielder’s throw to first.

Hayden Cornwell followed with a bloop single to right and, when

the throw back to the infield went astray, Cornwell and Bagby moved

up to second and third, respectively.

Angelides, who was 2 for 2, roped a single to center to drive in

Bagby, then promptly stole second, his second stolen base of the

game.

A fly to right field followed, but a tagging Cornwell was held at

third by a strong throw to the plate.

Cornwell, however, charged home on a wild pitch to pull Newport

Harbor within 5-3, but Fountain Valley starter Milton Leon ended the

threat with a strikeout and a groudout.

The groundout was a stellar play by Fountain Valley second baseman

Chad Hopkins, who ranged to his left and slid to his knees to smother

the ball before throwing to first.

Hopkins, who wears No. 22 and emulates with uncanny accuracy the

pitching windup and mound mannerisms of Roger Clemens, allowed just

one hit in two relief innings to record the save.

Charles Coakley singled with two outs in the sixth, but was thrown

out at second trying to stretch it into a double.

Coakley also pitched a perfect sixth inning, the only time

Fountain Valley was retired in order. He struck out two.

“Pitching and defense has been our strength,” Rios said. “Today, I

thought we had good pitching [including starter Cornwell], but our

defense was a little bit suspect.”

Newport Harbor had three errors, but a handful of additional

defensive lapses that didn’t make the scorecard undermined its

chances to win.

Still, with a runner-up showing and its first two wins as a team

in the tournament, Rios believes his squad is in a much better frame

of mind entering the district tournament that begins Wednesday in

Garden Grove.

Bryan Guzman made a sparkling defensive play at second for

Newport, which is also comprised of Spencer Routos, Austin Rios,

Nelson Simons, Max Gerard, Sean Sullivan and Zach Beaudin.

Rios’ assistant coaches are Fred Cornwell and Charles Coakley.