Newport Harbor absorbs first loss

DANA POINT ? Manager Tony Swies heard that a couple of his Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Bronco A All-Stars had spent most of the day at the beach on Thursday.

Swies figured it wasn’t exactly the best way to prepare for a baseball game. He was proven right after Newport Harbor fell to Dana Point, 10-6, in the team’s final pool-play game at the Dana Point Summer Classic at Del Obispo Park.

The two teams, both of which came into the game with 2-0 pool-play records, already knew they were headed to the championship game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Now, however, Dana Point has the momentum headed into that contest after handing Newport Harbor (8-1) its first loss in the postseason.

“We were lethargic and flat today,” Swies said. “I challenged them for Saturday to not go to the beach, and to come ready to play. We’re tough on the kids, but they have to answer the bell on Saturday.”

Newport Harbor fell behind, 1-0, Thursday, as Dana Point scored in the second inning on a fielder’s choice. But the local squad, to its credit, bounced back in the fourth inning ? much like Wednesday when the team won the Los Alamitos Invitational.

Daniel Albert and Jake Stowell led off the Newport Harbor fourth with back-to-back full-count walks. Brett Parker then hit a grounder to shortstop, but the hurried throw to third base was high and everyone was safe.

Matt Carpenter’s RBI groundout scored Albert to tie the score, then Nick McCann’s single to center scored Stowell and gave Newport Harbor the lead.

Tyler Kiehnle then hit a seeing-eye single to right field, just out of the grasp of both the Dana Point first baseman and second baseman. Two more runs scored on the play, increasing the lead to 4-1.

One out later, Christian Ochoa doubled to right.

A.J. Swies followed by crushing a home run to right field, giving Newport Harbor a 6-1 lead.

“That was encouraging,” Tony Swies said. “A.J. had been in a slump.”

But Dana Point immediately began its comeback in the bottom half of the inning.

With one out, a walk, a single and a triple down the right-field line scored two runs. Dana Point’s Danny Oberle followed with a double to cut the lead to 6-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, another one-out walk hurt Newport Harbor.

Dana Point’s Jake Terkosi would eventually score on a squeeze play, and an RBI groundout tied the score, 6-6.

Back-to-back hits to left field scored three more runs, and Newport Harbor was reeling, 9-6.

Dana Point added another run in the sixth and Newport Harbor couldn’t mount a comeback.

Ochoa went two for three with a double, and Stowell reached base twice via a pair of walks.