It’s now or never for Newport Harbor

Bryce Alderton

“Quit” hasn’t been a part of the Newport Harbor Baseball

Association Bronco A All-Stars vocabulary during this tournament

season and it’s not about to enter the equation any time soon.

Even after Saturday’s 16-3 loss to Los Alamitos at Westhaven Park,

Newport Harbor coaches Bob Svendsen and Armando Hernandez remained

optimistic about their team’s chances today against Anaheim at 1:30

p.m.

“These kids are battlers that aren’t going to give up,” Svendsen

said. “We’ve been down before and we feel confident about (today).”

Last Sunday the 11- and 12-year-old All-Stars scored six runs in

the seventh inning coming back to defeat La Mirada, 16-13, to earn

the final playoff spot in the District 2 Bronco Section Tournament.

Newport’s 3-1 defeat of Garden Grove Wednesday set up Saturday’s

tilt with Los Alamitos, which quickly got on the board in a big way

with a 10-run top of the first.

Los Alamitos sent 15 batters to the plate who collected eight

hits, half of 16 total hits on the day.

Svendsen and Hernandez both knew they would face a challenge in

Los Alamitos, who defeated Newport handily in an earlier All-Star

tournament and who have been shutting out opponents with regularity,

according to Hernandez.

“I’m happy we got some hits and scored some runs,” Hernandez said.

Newport had seven hits from six different players, scoring two

runs in the second and one in the third.

Danny Moskovits led all Newport hitters with two hits, a single

and a double, and a run scored.

With the bases loaded in the fourth, Moskovits scored his only run

on a double play involving a strikeout.

Los Alamitos’ catcher Freeman Barraza dropped the third strike and

quickly threw to first baseman Cameron Tanseco, who tagged out Niko

Hernandez as he tried to retreat to the bag after breaking for second

on the dropped third strike.

Newport scored its other two runs in the second in a more

conventional fashion as Nick Svendsen grounded out to second to score

Adrian Rodriguez, who had reached on a single to left.

Catcher Jackson Massingill then swung above the letters on a 2-0

pitch and hit a shallow fly to center field that dropped in front of

the charging center fielder to plate Hernandez, who had reached on an

error.

Los Alamitos used four pitchers that combined to strikeout seven

Newport batters while allowing only one walk on 82 total pitches.

Moskovits recorded the only strikeout for Newport.

Just as Hernandez got caught off guard in the fourth, he made up

for it with stellar defensive plays at second in the first, fourth

and fifth innings.

In the first Hernandez dove to his right to stop a hard-hit ground

ball hit by Ryan Starkey. On his belly and with the ball in his right

hand, Hernandez reached to touch the bag with the ball for the

inning-ending force out.

In the fourth, left fielder Rodriguez fielded a hard-hit single by

Barraza and threw to Hernandez, who was positioned just left of the

second-base bag. Hernandez caught the ball and on his knees reached

across the bag to tag the sliding runner.

He dazzled again in the fifth when he fielded Brian Compton’s

ground ball, tagged the runner advancing to second and threw to Erik

Bonn at first for the double play.

Also adding solid defense for Newport were Ben Frazier, who caught

three fly balls in right field, Svendsen at shortstop and Brock

Schuler.

In the fourth, Schuler fielded a come-backer and threw to

Moskovits, which started a pickle as Travis Garrett became caught

between second and third. After a couple throws, Moskovits made the

tag for the second out.

Right fielder Ben Frazier, Hernandez and Schuler had the other

hits for Newport.

Despite Newport’s defensive gems, they committed seven errors,

which, coupled with Los Alamitos’ 16 hits, was too much to overcome.

Zach Hernandez, Kirk Singer and Armando Gutierrez, the top three

hitters in Los Alamitos’ lineup, scored twice in the 10-run first as

Newport committed three errors, two on throws and one a bobble.

Gutierrez lined two balls sharply to left center for doubles,

plating one run each time.

Coaches Svendsen and Hernandez managed the team Saturday in place

of Ron D’Cruz, who was out of town on business.

Newport also scored three runs in its tournament opener against

Garden Grove on Wednesday, but three runs were enough for the victory

that day, thanks to pitching of Nick Svendsen.

Svendsen pitched a seven-inning complete game four-hitter,

allowing one run while striking out seven, not facing more than five

batters in an inning.

Newport scored two in the fourth as Erik Bonn opened the inning

with a triple and scored on Danny Moskovits’ fielder’s choice.

Rodriguez and Hernandez then singled as Schuler delivered a two-out

double to score Rodriguez, giving Newport Harbor a 2-1 lead.

Then in the fifth with one out, Frazier and Bonn both walked and

advanced to on a wild pitch. Moskovits collected his second RBI of

the game, giving Newport a 3-1 lead, which proved to be the final

score.