Mustang All-Stars triumph

WESTMINSTER ? After reaching three straight tournament championship games, the Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Mustang All-Stars know a thing or two about success.

Tonight, they hope to move on to the next level.

By virtue of a 15-2, five-inning triumph over Irvine Blue Monday evening at Freedom Park, the squad is just one win away from qualifying for the Section Tournament this weekend in Whittier.

Ironically, it’s Whittier White which Newport Harbor must beat to wind up as the second-place team in the District B Tournament.

The two squads will face off at 5:45 p.m. at Freedom Park.

Fountain Valley Red qualified as the top team with a win over Whittier White Sunday afternoon. Newport Harbor also lost to Fountain Valley Red earlier in the tournament.

Newport Harbor Manager Pat Cox said it comes down to focusing on the task at hand.

“We look at things one game, one out, one pitch at a time,” Cox said following the 90-minute contest, shortened by the 10-run mercy rule. “It’s a new game [tonight] and what we’ve done in the past means nothing.”

That may be a good sign for the squad, which is 0-3 in tournament championship games this year. Newport Harbor stroked 12 hits in the game, three of them coming in a four-run second which broke the game open.

Shawn Vetrovec opened with a one-out, ground-rule double, his first of two doubles. TK McWhertor followed with a single, and went to second on the throw to the infield.

After a walk to Robert Lyons loaded the bases, Garrett Hall singled home Vetrovec and ended the night for Irvine pitcher David Perry.

A passed ball allowed McWhertor to score, then an infield error on a Connor Seabold grounder allowed both Lyons and Hall to score for a 4-0 lead. Seabold stole third but was stranded as the final out was recorded.

Newport Harbor pitcher Brad Tapfer struck out six of the first nine Irvine batters to keep his squad out front.

Newport Harbor extended its lead in the third.

An error allowed Jake Norton to reach base to get things started. A balk and a pair of groundouts brought home the run, with Vetrovec earning the RBI.

McWhertor singled and reached second on a wild pitch but was stranded.

Irvine cut the lead to 5-1 in the fourth before Newport Harbor scored 10 runs in the fifth to begin thoughts of an early evening.

Sean Cox walked and Baron Schwarz singled to put runners at the corners with one out.

An infield error allowed Cox to score and Vetrovec to reach, then McWhertor walked to load the bases.

Jason Rodriguez singled home Schwarz, then Chase Whiting was hit by a pitch to force in Vetrovec for an 8-1 lead.

Seabold brought home two more runs with a single, and Tapfer aided his own cause with a sacrifice fly for an 11-1 lead.

Consecutive singles by Cox, Norton and Schwarz each brought in a run, then Vetrovec’s double down the left-field line drove in Schwarz for the final run.

Schwarz, Vetrovec and McWhertor each had two hits for the winners.