Newport Beach remains alive

Steve Virgen

In the top of the first inning of their first second-chance game in

the District 55 Majors All-Star tournament, the Newport Beach

National Little League team of 12-year-olds let a great scoring

opportunity slip away.

With runners on second and third, Rancho Mission Viejo pitcher

Chad Prescher retired the next three batters. However, in the

following inning, Newport Beach took advantage of its second chance,

scoring three runs on two passed balls and a wild pitch.

The runs, scored by Michael Bloom, Chase Carlisle and Jaime

Heinecke, helped lead the Newport Beach National All-Stars to a 5-1

victory over Rancho Mission Viejo at Youth Athletic Park in Mission

Viejo Saturday. With the win, Newport Beach will face Saddleback in

the second round of the second-chance bracket Monday at 7:30 p.m.,

also at Youth Athletic Park.

The Newport Beach National All-Stars will need six more wins to

get back into the championship bracket and play an undefeated team.

If they play as they did Saturday, they stand a fighting chance.

While opportunistic baserunning was the theme in the second

inning, the Newport Beach All-Stars also received a solid pitching

performance from Corey Vitalo, who made the right pitches at the

right time, said Jeff Bloom, the team’s manager.

“That’s what you call a gutty performance,” Bloom said. “He got

big outs. They had the bases loaded with one out [in the second

inning] and they didn’t score a run. I think that’s when the game

really turned in our favor.”

In the second inning, with the bases loaded and one out, Vitalo

induced a ground ball that Michael Bloom, the shortstop, scooped up

and fired home to the catcher, Tommy Colton, for a force out.

While Vitalo was facing the next batter, he threw a pitch that

bounced off Colton’s glove. Vitalo charged toward the plate, as did a

Rancho Mission Viejo runner from third base. Vitalo was quicker to

the ball and tossed it to Colton, who applied the tag for the out.

“Corey is a real funny personality,” Jeff Bloom said. “Throughout

all of that, I guarantee you he was never nervous, unlike his

manager.”

Vitalo delivered a complete-game performance, that included five

shutout innings and two strikeouts. He scattered nine hits, but along

with the defense behind him, continually stymied Rancho Mission

Viejo, which left eight runners on base.

“We played great defensively,” Jeff Bloom said. “We also did a

great job of running the bases. When we scored the three runs, that

really put the pressure on them. Our guys were really alert. It was

fun to see.”

While Rancho Mission Viejo struggled to score, Newport Beach

collected single runs in the third and fourth innings to maintain

control of the game.

In the third inning, Nick Flamson smacked an 0-1 pitch over the center-field fence for a home run. As he rounded the bases, his

teammates celebrated as they came toward the plate to greet him.

Then in the fourth, Michael Bloom scored again. He singled, then

stole second. Blake Thomsen followed with an RBI double to left

field.

The double displayed Thomsen’s determination. He was hit in the

shin by a pitch in the first inning, yet still came back to finish

out strong.

The second baseman was the only Newport Beach All-Star to have two

hits.

“He’s just a good, little ballplayer,” Jeff Bloom said. “He’s very

fundamentally sound.”

Thomsen contributed to Newport Beach’s six-hit attack. Michael

Bloom, Beau Attyah, Ben Capaldi and Flamson also had hits. Brian

Hurst, Jack Gerdau and Blake Miller also contributed to the victory.

Rancho Mission Viejo scored its only run in the fifth. After a

groundout, the Rancho Mission Viejo All-Stars collected two doubles.

But, Vitalo came back by inducing groundouts. Thomsen and Flamson,

the third baseman, collected assists on the two grounders.

Michael Bloom accounted for five outs, as he had four assists and

gloved a fly ball.

In the sixth inning, Vitalo ended any hopes of a comeback by

Rancho Mission Viejo, retiring the side in order, the only time he

did so in the game.