Newport Beach National bested

NEWPORT BEACH — The classic coastal sunshine beamed down on a classic coastal baseball bout between Newport Beach National Little League and the Laguna Beach 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars in the District 55 Tournament Saturday at Bonita Canyon Sports Park.

And while Laguna Beach came out on top, 12-2, in the mercy-rule-shortened first-round game of the double-elimination tournament, Newport Beach did not go down without a fight.

With Laguna Beach up by six going into the fourth, a sense of urgency came over the Newport Beach players and balls started flying.

With runners at first and second, Newport Beach’s Reed Quackenbush got it going with a hit over the right fielder’s head that scored Cole Collins from second. A second runner trying to score on the play was thrown out at the plate.

Quackenbush wound up at third on the play and Newport Beach still had two outs to work with. After Laguna Beach ace Jacob Flaxman struck out the next batter, Newport Beach catcher Trent Attyah smoothly lifted a bloop single into center field to score Quackenbush. Newport Beach had cut the lead to four but the fray would stop there.

After Newport Beach’s fourth-inning rally, Laguna Beach, the designated home team, continued to show consistency and answered with two runs of its own to lead, 8-2.

Laguna Beach scored four more in the fifth and finalized the win, ending the game one short of the scheduled six innings.

Some huge performances by Newport Beach All-Stars, however, kept the cheering of Laguna Beach supporters at bay.

In the first inning, Collins belted a triple that sailed over the right fielder’s head. Quackenbush put in a solid day on the mound, retiring the side in the third and helping himself, accounting for one of the teams two RBIs.

But Newport Beach’s player of the day had to be third basemen Jason Neiger. Neiger put a stop to two different Laguna Beach rallies with some great defensive plays. With men on first and second in the second inning, Laguna Beach’s Will McCilerny hit a shot up the third-base line but Neiger was there to stop the ball and stop a run from scoring. Neiger did the same thing in the fourth, collecting the ball with a backhanded scoop and firing to first to get Newport Beach out of a bases-loaded jam.

“He’s a gamer,” Newport Beach Manager Greg Shockey said of Neiger. “Jason has realized how important these games are at this level.”

This loss does not put an end to Newport Beach’s All-Star run. The locals will play today at 1 p.m. at the same site in hopes of staving off elimination.

“These kids were selected to get a chance to show they can play at this level,” Shockey said. “All we need to do now is just get back to fundamentals and play some catch and this game really helped the kids to see that.”

MARK RATTO may be reached at (714) 966-4613.