Shadowlands

Looking back, 5 years ago this week.

Newport Harbor High’s Molli Mullen crushes a grand slam in the second

game to highlight a 12-1 victory over Costa Mesa’s softball team. Mullen,

Shawn Talley, Jill Nelson and Jamie Pulaski have two hits each as the

Sailors pound out 12. Nelson allows only two hits in five innings and

struck out three as the game ends because of the 10-run mercy rule.

The Corona del Mar baseball team pounds out 14 hits en route to an

11-7 victory over Irvine. Chad Johnson unloads a two-run homer over the

right field fence to score in Kevin Stuart who had singled. Royal

McMackin and Ryan Achterberg smack one home run each to secure the

victory.

The Costa Mesa baseball team gets defensive in a 6-1 victory over

Aliso Viejo. Right-hander Matt Broesamle throws no more than 15 pitches

in any inning, allowing five hits. Center fielder Ben Felter ends the

game with a diving, backhanded catch on a sinking fly ball. On offense,

Tony Arevalos goes 3 for 3 and scores a pair of runs. Mike Adelmund

cracks an RBI double to begin a four-run fourth inning.

The Newport Harbor boys volleyball team handles host Irvine to take a

15-9, 15-10, 14-16, 15-8 victory, its second Sea View League win of the

season. Wes Badorek leads with 14 kills and Travis Nelson sets up 48

assists. Brian Fox and Cameron Black add eight kills each for the Tars,

while Eric Bernhard and Matt Caldwell add six apiece.

The Corona del Mar boys volleyball team sweeps past El Toro, 15-12,

15-9, 15-7. John Coon smacks down 16 kills and Brian Coleman has 14.

Derek Newcomer finishes with 44 assists.

Newport Harbor’s Joe Urban leads the Sailors’ baseball team to a 4-1

win over Woodbridge, ending a three-game losing skid and providing Harbor

with its first Sea View League win. Urban pitches a complete game

three-hitter with eight strikeouts. He also pounds out the game winning

home run, a shot over the left field fence to break a 1-1 tie in the

bottom of the sixth inning. Gavin Tomalas and Garrett Nuzum score

insurance runs.

Looking back, 10 years ago this week.

U.S. water polo Coach Bill Barnett, who is now the co-coach for boys

and girls water polo at Newport Harbor High, guides the American squad to

a 9-5 win over Germany at Newport Harbor. The U.S. team overcomes a

somewhat sluggish first half to claim victory in the exhibition match,

which is the first of a three-game series between the two teams in

Southern California. “I don’t think you get too stale playing the same

team three times in a row,” Barnett says after the win. “We need the

opportunity to work on a few things.”

The Orange Coast College baseball team pounds Bakersfield, 15-2, to

win the College of the Sequoias Tournament. The game is shortened to

seven innings as the Pirates bang 17 hits and put the game away with

five-run innings in the fifth and sixth. Corey Parker goes 3 for 4 with

five RBIs. He finishes 11 for 15 with 10 RBIs in the tournament. Dan

Redington goes 4 for 4 and scores four runs in the victory over

Bakersfield.

The baseball team of Southern California College, now Vanguard

University, makes the most of its trip to Hawaii. The Vanguards finish

with a 4-2 record on the island after two victories, a 4-3 edge over

Hawaii-Hilo and a 5-1 decision over Baker College of Kansas, in games at

Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. Keith Laszlo brings home Donny Harrell to

break a 3-3 tie in the top of the sixth inning. Against Kansas, Matt

Dahlgren doubles twice and Sean Maharg goes 2 for 3 for the second

straight game.

The Orange Coast College softball team claims the championship of the

College of the Desert Easter Tournament by defeating Palomar, 5-2, in the

title game. Catcher Becky Toler is selected tournament MVP as the Pirates

score two shutout victories and face Palomar three times to earn the

championship. The first game goes 11 innings as OCC wins, 7-6. Then the

Comets answer with a 3-2 decision to set the stage for the title

showdown.

Estancia junior Matt Fuerbringer, the leading scorer on the CIF State

Division III championship boys basketball team, is among three

Newport-Mesa district players who earn All-CIF honors. Fuerbringer makes

the first team. Newport Harbor senior Huy Nguyen and Corona del Mar

senior Jon Upham receive second-team status.

-- compiled by Steve Virgen