Newport reaches regionals

It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, but that doesn’t matter to

the Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco A 11- and 12-year-old

All-Stars.

Newport came up big when it counted the most, scoring two

victories on Sunday to advance to the regional tournament, the first

time a Newport Harbor team has made it that far.

To do it, Newport came up with a 2-0 victory over Los Alamitos A

in eight innings and followed that with a 5-4 victory over Dana Point

A.

“We’re definitely Cinderella,” Coach Len Moskovits said.

With six 11-year-olds on the team, Newport Harbor is a young

Cinderella, but none of that mattered on Sunday.

With the victory over Los Alamitos, Newport Harbor will enter the

regionals as no worse than the No. 2 seed from Orange County. But

they have a chance to better that because of their victory over Dana

Point.

Newport Harbor returns to the field at 6 tonight to face Anaheim

A, a team that knocked them off 10-0 on Saturday. Even if they lose,

they will still reach the regional tournament.

That was assured with the victory Los Alamitos, as four of the

eight teams from the section tournament advance to regionals.

Danny Moskovits and Ryan Albert each pitched four innings of

shutout ball and both produced offensively as well. Moskovits went 2

for 4 with a double and Albert drove in a run in the eighth inning

with a double.

The win was made possible by left fielder Austin Wobrock who kept

the game scoreless in the fifth inning by gunning down a Los Alamitos

runner attempting to score. Wobrock’s throw came on the fly from the

outfield fence, 240 feet from home plate.

Already assured of a berth in the regional tournament, Newport

Harbor advanced its standing with the win over Dana Point.

Adrian Rodriguez was 4 for 4 with a double and two runs scored to

lead Newport Harbor. Scott Ward pitched five innings, allowing four

runs and striking out five. Jack Grace closed out Dana Point with two

innings of scoreless relief.

A victory over Anaheim would put Newport Harbor in Tuesday’s

section championship game, but either way, Newport Harbor already

knows it is advancing.