All-Stars ousted in slugfest

CORONA ? The Newport Harbor Baseball Assn. Bronco All-Stars scored a combined 38 runs over two games on Saturday at the Region Tournament at Santana Park.

But the worn-out pitching staff didn’t quite hold up in the more-than-100-degree temperatures, and Newport Harbor was sent packing after a 24-20 afternoon loss to Inland Empire.

In the morning game, Newport Harbor got by host Corona, 18-11, in another elimination contest.

Newport Harbor, 16-5 in all-star competition, left the Region Tournament with its head high. With two wins at the Region Tournament, it is the furthest an NHBA All-Star team has ever gone in the postseason (all divisions).

Newport Harbor won two “pre-tournaments” then advanced through district and section tournaments to get to the Region Tournament.

“From day one, I knew I had pretty good baseball players,” Newport Harbor Manager Tony Swies said. “But I didn’t know I had kids with such good character and a good, hard competitive nature. They deserved it.

“We had fun, and when you can make baseball fun, that’s what it’s all about,” Swies said.

The game against Inland Empire was an all-out slugfest. But in the end, Newport Harbor was unable to keep leads of 6-0 in the first inning, and 14-8 in the third inning.

It looked good early for the Bronco All-Stars. In the top of the first, Brett Parker, Nick McCann, Tyler Kiehnle and Jake Stowell all had singles, to produce two runs.

A.J. Swies then crushed a three-run homer, his team-leading seventh of the postseason, to center field. The blast gave Newport Harbor a 5-0 lead.

Christian Ochoa also scored in the inning, and a rematch with Dana Point, which beat Newport Friday, seemed likely.

But Inland Empire came right back with five runs in the bottom of the inning on only two hits.

Ochoa, who pitched in relief, said most of the Newport Harbor pitchers were just out of gas after already playing in extreme heat earlier against Corona.

“We’re used to [temperatures in] the 70s and 80s in Newport Beach,” Ochoa said. “We’re not used to the 90s and 100s.”

Newport Harbor had the lead as late as 14-13, and tied the game, 16-16.

But Inland Empire took control with a four-run fourth inning, highlighted by Hector Perez’s two-run homer to left.

Newport Harbor failed to score a run in the seventh ? its first scoreless inning of the game ? and the season was over.

McCann was five for six with two RBIs and three runs scored in the game. He finished the tournament 13 or 18 (a .722 batting average) with a home run and three triples.

“The pitching was perfect for me this tournament,” McCann said. “I was seeing the ball really well. Every time I hit the ball, I just kept wishing the coaches would send me [around the bases] and see how far I could go.”

Parker was three for five with three runs scored and one RBI.

Kiehnle also scored three times, and Stowell chipped in three hits and two RBIs.

Daniel Albert and Ethan Cochran had two hits and one RBI apiece.