Tourney triumph for Newport

LOS ALAMITOS ? The Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Bronco A All-Stars weren’t worried during Wednesday’s Los Alamitos Youth Baseball Invitational championship game.

Despite their 8-0 record in post-season play, they’d played from behind before.

Sure enough, all it took this time was a huge fourth-inning rally, turning a three-run deficit into a five-run Newport Harbor advantage.

After taking the lead, Newport Harbor hung on for an 11-9 victory in a five-inning game, taking home the tournament championship.

“The middle to the bottom of our order really came through today,” Newport Harbor Manager Tony Swies said. “These kids are gritty. There’s great team chemistry, there’s a tight group of kids that enjoy each other. And everybody’s contributing.”

It all started in the top of the fourth inning. After Tyler Kiehnle led off with a double, Christian Ochoa walked and Vince Aqueveque was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Connor Sweeney’s RBI single to left field scored Kiehnle and narrowed the deficit to 6-5, with the bases still juiced.

Hamilton Randle was then hit by a pitch on a full count, forcing home another run to tie the score.

“I kind of felt pressure with the bases loaded and a full count,” Randle said. “But I saw a curveball coming in, and then I just turned and wore it.”

One out later, Daniel Albert’s chopper over the Los Alamitos third baseman’s head scored two runs, giving Newport Harbor an 8-6 lead.

Jake Stowell’s infield single again loaded the bases and Los Alamitos brought in a new pitcher. But it didn’t work, as leadoff hitter Brett Parker’s single off the left-center field wall scored two more, pushing the advantage to 10-6.

Matt Carpenter added an RBI bloop single to right field, scoring Parker and extending the lead to five runs.

“I knew we would win,” said Newport Harbor starting pitcher Nick McCann, who reached base twice. “We beat them last time [a 6-1 pool play win on June 21] and it seems like we always come back in the last innings.”

Los Alamitos scored three times in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull the hosts closer. Two of the team’s runs were courtesy of Gavyn Ramirez’s home run to center.

But the umpires called the game after that, despite the protests of the Los Alamitos coaches, who said they thought time limits didn’t apply in championship games.

Tournament director Mike Godoy upheld the ruling and the tourney title went to Newport Harbor.

“It feels great,” said cleanup hitter A.J. Swies, usually the closer but not needed on Wednesday due to Kiehnle’s two innings of shutout ball. “I felt they [Los Alamitos] were going to throw their studs this game, but we can handle them.”

Tony Swies said it was truly a team effort.

“All 12 really contributed,” Swies said. “Ethan Cochran and Jake Stowell were called up from the B team and they contributed. It’s just been a solid performance top to bottom.”

Newport Harbor jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, getting RBI singles from Kiehnle and Ochoa. But Los Alamitos responded in the bottom half, when Ramirez’s double down the left-field line scored three runs and gave Los Alamitos a 5-3 lead.

The Bronco A squad also plays in the Dana Point Summer Classic today at 4:45 p.m. against Dana Point, but has already qualified for the championship game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

“It feels really good to win the [Los Alamitos] championship after playing in six games,” Kiehnle said. “I think it gives us a lot of confidence going into Dana Point.”

Newport Harbor starts its district tournament on July 6 at the Garden Grove Pony fields.

“The only thing that I’m a little bit worried about is that since we haven’t lost yet, we’re due for a loss,” Tony Swies said.

“But I like winning,” he quickly added with a laugh.dpt.29-nhba-2-BPhotoInfo801SF1B320060629j1lnduncCHRISTOPHER WAGNER / DAILY PILOT(LA)Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Bronco A All-Star Nick McCann makes the tag on Los Alamitos’ Chad Kutzke at home plate during the championship game of the Los Alamitos Youth Baseball Invitational at the Los Alamitos Pony Fields.dpt.29-nhba-1-BPhotoInfo801SF1B620060629j1lnczncCHRISTOPHER WAGNER / DAILY PILOT(LA)Newport Harbor Bronco A All-Star A.J. Swies just misses the tag on Los Alamitos’ Justin Brockel at first base in the tournament final Wednesday.