Newport to play for title

CORONA DEL MAR — At the start of the Little League District 55 All-Star Tournament, Newport Beach faced Laguna Hills.

The two will meet in the final, again.

Laguna Hills hoped Monday night was the last time these two played. Newport Beach did not oblige.

Newport Beach earned another shot at Laguna Hills, winning, 5-3, at Lincoln Elementary. The 11- to 12-year-old All-Stars continued their impressive run, claiming their sixth straight win in eight days.

No team managed to beat Laguna Hills until Monday.

Once more on the same site and Newport Beach makes history. A victory tonight at 6:30 against Laguna Hills and Newport Beach is headed to the sectional at East Anaheim Little League Saturday.

“Newport Beach has never won this district in the 27 or 28 years we’ve had Little League,” Newport Beach Manager Duane Hastings said. “We’ve only gotten to this game [two] other [times].”

Hastings said he saw the 2002 and 2006 Newport Beach teams fall short. The first one involved an older brother of one of Hastings’ players.

The second involved one of Hastings’ sons. Cort Hastings is now watching his younger brother, Jake, play. It’s easy for Cort to understand why Newport Beach has reached the finale.

Credit the team’s sheer resiliency. These kids just don’t go away.

“I’m so nervous,” said Cort, an incoming sophomore at Corona del Mar High.

Cort and the rest of the large crowd Monday settled down after pitcher Ben Humphreys’ start. The right-hander delivered five strong innings, striking out seven and allowing only two runs.

The second outing against Laguna Hills from Newport Beach’s staff turned out to be a vast improvement.

The first time Newport Beach saw Laguna Hills, the out-of-town team began its title run with an 11-2 victory on July 1, knocking Newport Beach into the loser’s bracket.

Since then, Newport Beach has been in survival mode. The way Parker Reposa has hit the ball, Newport Beach keeps slugging back.

Reposa tagged another ball during the team’s four-run third inning. The ball appeared headed over the right-field fence before it stayed in, giving Reposa a double instead of his seventh homer of the tournament.

“It’s the first ball he’s hit in the air that hasn’t gone out in the tournament,” Hastings said. “Reposa is coming up big.”

Newport Beach has raised its level of play.

The offense has scored runs in bunches, 53 during its five wins before Monday’s.

Matching the more than 10 runs per game it has averaged after the tournament opener proved difficult against Laguna Hills.

Pitching and defense put Newport Beach on top. Cameron Hook recorded the final three outs.

When the reliever got into trouble, with runners on the corners and one out in the sixth, shortstop Chad Redfearn made a defensive gem. Lucas Lamont hit a hard grounder toward Redfearn’s right. Redfearn knocked it down, quickly picking up the ball before firing it to second base for a force out.

“That was really flat out guts,” said Hastings, knowing he has seen his players give it their all since being one loss away from being eliminated.

Newport Beach received a much-needed day off Sunday, its first in quite awhile. Hastings has seen his team outlive nine other teams.

One more doesn’t seem that difficult now.

“We’ve had our backs to the wall now for six straight games,” Hastings said. “We’ve come up big in every one of those games. Now, they’ve got their backs to the wall just like we do.”