Tars’ first win sweet

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CORONA DEL MAR — A no-hitter, or bring in one of your aces for a bullpen session?

Newport Harbor High Coach Evan Chalmers faced this dilemma in the bottom of the fifth inning. Scott Ward made his decision a lot easier.

Chalmers removed the starter after he walked the leadoff batter, Ward’s sixth walk.

At the time, the Sailors’ scorekeeper had host Corona del Mar with zero hits. No one mentioned Ward’s no-hitter until he warmed up to face the Sea Kings.

Someone asked if this were true, the 6-foot-7, 241-pounder had a no-hitter going Tuesday?

The scorekeeper looked like she wanted to pinch the person who asked, even though he wore green on St. Patrick’s Day.

She got over the jinx after the Sea Kings broke the Sailors’ no-hitter. Her Sailors won for the first time this season.

Newport Harbor claimed the Battle of the Bay for the second straight year, winning 10-5.

Chalmers smiled when the final out was recorded. The Sailors survived a bases-loaded situation with two outs.

“I get nervous until the end,” said Chalmers, adding the victory is a team win, well, because it’s Newport Harbor’s first.

The Sailors on St. Patrick’s Day were still green when it came to wins.

The victory gives Newport Harbor (1-5) momentum going into Sunset League play Friday. The Sailors are at defending league champion Los Alamitos, ranked No. 2 in the CIF Southern Section Division I preseason coaches’ poll.

As for CdM (2-4), it lost its third straight. A pattern is beginning to develop with the Sea Kings. Coach John Emme doesn’t like it as CdM opens Pacific Coast League play at Beckman Friday.

“We started this trend at Fullerton and it’s a bad one,” said Emme of the 9-8 loss last Thursday. “We take a lead and then the next inning we give it back. It’s something that we can’t have going into league.

“We gave up a four-run, a three-run and a one-run lead [against Fullerton].”

For the third straight game, the Sea Kings let another lead get away.

In the first inning, CdM went ahead, 2-0. The Sea Kings early on had opportunities to pounce on Ward (1-1).

After getting the leadoff batter to pop-up, Ward ran into trouble after his catcher dropped a foul ball near the Sailors’ dugout. He walked the batter, the next one, too.

An error in right field loaded the bases. A passed ball brought home the first run. The bases were loaded again after Ward’s third walk.

Ward got the next batter to foul out. Then he walked his fourth batter, bringing in another run.

With the bases loaded, Ward got the next batter to line out to center.

“We had him on the ropes,” Emme said. “Then we pop-up to the infield, or something like that. You got to step on a guy when you got him.”

Ward was fortunate. The lower part of Newport Harbor’s lineup backed him up.

Third baseman Cody Green went three for five with one run batted in and a double. Catcher Blake Davey went two for two with a solo home run and he walked twice.

In the second inning, both Green and Davey got involved with back-to-back singles. Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice bunt moved them into scoring position for designated hitter Rich Lowery.

Lowery ripped a double to left field, driving in two runs to tie the game at 2-2.

The run support allowed Ward to settle down. He had one-two-three innings in the second and fourth. In each, he recorded a strikeout, finishing with two.

“I just let the defense do [its] job,” said Ward, a right-hander. “They got my back.”

Newport Harbor broke the game open in the third. Alex Rios, who had three hits, extended his hitting streak to six games.

Rios, a senior, started a five-run rally in the third. Green gave the Sailors their first lead with a single to center and Emme pulled starter Steven Manning (0-2).

Newport Harbor never looked back. Nick Vlahakis relieved Ward and Chalmers just wanted his senior to get some work in before league.

Green is hoping the momentum gained from snapping a five-game losing skid, suffered while playing in the Newport Elks Tournament’s toughest bracket, the Lerner, will boost the Sailors Friday.

“We’re going to try and shock the world,” said Green, whose team in the first two games of the season hung with a couple of big-time programs, Patriot of Riverside and Mater Dei, ranked No. 4 in Division IV and No. 1 in Division I, respectively.

“I think we have a chance.”

Nonleague

Newport Harbor 10, Corona del Mar 5

SCORE BY INNINGS

Ward, Vlahakis (5), Grace (7) and Davey, Rautus (7); Manning, Hurst (3), Werline (6) and Attyah. W – Ward, 1-1. L – Manning, 0-2. 2B – Lowery (NH), Green (NH), Borchard (CdM). HR – Davey (NH).