Newport short in end

NEWPORT BEACH — A game should never come down to a call. But, unfortunately for the Newport Harbor High baseball team it did Thursday.

Down by one run in the bottom of the seventh with runners on second and third base, Sailors center fielder Alex Maddox stepped to the plate with two outs against Edison ace Henry Owens.

With the wind howling to center field and the crowd on its feet, Maddox hit a soft roller toward the shortstop, who after bare-handing it, flung a one-hopper to first. Maddox got out of the box quick and charged down the line only to see Edison first baseman Tanner Phillips fall to the ground and pick the ball, yet the umpire called Maddox out.

The benches went into an uproar in the game that was first place in the Sunset League.

Newport Harbor (10-2, 3-2 in league) was saying that Phillips’ foot had the left the bag on the play, while Edison (8-4, 4-1) was simply excited to get out of the inning and win the game 3-4.

“I had the best view in the house,” Newport Harbor Coach Patrick Murphy said. “I was coaching first base at the time and he was off the base. It was a pretty bad call. Our guy from second was rounding third base to score and we win if he makes the right call. We played hard and that hurts a little bit.”

To the umpires credit it was as bang-bang of a play as a play can get. A short-hop throw with the first baseman flailing to snag the hop and the runner lunging to the bag has thrown an umpire or two off before. But when that call decides the end result of an important league game, it can hurt.

“When it happens last out on a call that wasn’t even questionable, it’s frustrating,” Newport Harbor catcher Blake Davey said. “[But] we didn’t lose on that one call. There were plenty of opportunities where we could have gone up or even taken the lead.”

One such play happened in the bottom of the sixth with the Sailors down, 4-3, and Dillan Freiberg on third base. Matt Carpenter lofted a fly ball to right field just deep enough for Freiberg to possibly tag from third and tie up the game. Edison’s Jon Torres had other plans as he threw a rope to the catcher who tagged Freiberg out at the plate.

Not all was lost on Thursday, however.

Sophomore Sailors starter Chase Kapana showed some composure, going three innings with a strikeout and allowing two runs. Kapana jammed a Charger hitter to get a third out fly ball after walking three straight players to load the bases in a third-inning jam.

Reliever Ryan Albert, came on in the fourth and pitched four innings only giving up one earned run with a strikeout and one walk.

“When [Albert] needs to do it, he just turns it on,” Davey said. “This was the hardest I have ever seen him throw and all of his stuff was working today.”

Albert also had the best day at the plate with a second-inning, two-run home run to tie it up early.

Jordan Desguin was the only other Sailor with an extra base-hit as he smoked a leadoff double in the bottom of the third that eventually led to pinch runner Richie Lowery scoring on an error later in the inning.

Newport Harbor will play a nonleague game against San Juan Hills at Newport Harbor Saturday and will pick up Sunset League play April 14 at Fountain Valley.

Sunset League

Edison 4, Newport Harbor 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Hanson, Owens (7) and Madden; Kapana, Albert (4) and Davey. W – Hanson, 2-1. L – Kapana 5-2. Sv. – Owens.

2B – Jones (E), Madden (E), Desguin (NH). HR – Madden (E), Albert (NH).