Sailors go down with fight

NEWPORT BEACH — Sometimes the mentality of a champion is revealed in a dramatic come-from-behind victory. But if one looks closely enough, the same fighting spirit can be seen against odds that prove insurmountable.

The Newport Harbor High baseball team experienced both scenarios in two Sunset League games this week, the latter a 13-3 home loss to Los Alamitos Friday.

The setback was the first of the season for the Sailors (9-1, 2-1 in league), who led, 1-0, into the third and trailed only 4-1 after five innings against the Griffins (6-4, 2-1).

Unlike Wednesday, when the Sailors scored sixth in the seventh inning to turn a five-run deficit into a one-run lead in a game they ultimately won, 16-13, in 10 innings, there was no dugout-emptying drama Friday.

But first-year coach Patrick Murphy certainly liked what he saw in the latter stages of a game that clearly got away from his squad.

“I think if there is any kind of bright spot at all, definitely the one we want to focus on with our guys is that they didn’t go away,” Murphy said. “They didn’t pack it in at all. They definitely stayed connected with each other, which has been our goal this year. And, in the seventh inning, I thought we had some really good at-bats. Guys were still in there fighting and I’m proud of them for that.”

The fight was there throughout for the hosts, though the execution was not.

The Sailors committed three errors, one base-running blunder and were bullied a bit by a potent Los Al lineup for which Murphy, having worked as an assistant for the Griffins last season, has a healthy respect.

Los Alamitos, the defending league champion that was defeated by nationally touted Edison, 2-0, in the league opener March 19, also stayed in it well enough to put the game away with nine combined runs in the final two innings.

Los Al lashed 16 hits, with all but one spot in the lineup contributing.

Newport, which had 22 hits Wednesday and came in batting .383 as a team, had only four hits, all singles, through five innings.

Los Alamitos senior right-hander Kyle Ferramola survived a shaky first to work six strong innings and earn his first victory in three decisions this season. Not until Ryan Albert launched an opposite-field home run with one out in the sixth, did the Sailors produce a run with the benefit of a hit.

The Tars opened the scoring in the first when Alex Maddox worked an eight-pitch walk. After a flyout, Blake Davey was hit by a pitch and Austin Wobrock followed with a walk to load the bases.

Sophomore Matt Carpenter, who homered twice Wednesday, including a game-tying grand slam in the seventh to give him six dingers this season, followed with a sacrifice fly to center to stake Newport starter Chase Kapana to a slim cushion.

Kapana, who worked two scoreless relief innings Wednesday to get the win and improve to 5-0, ultimately absorbed the loss Friday. But he allowed just two earned runs and five hits in five innings and garnered praise from Murphy.

“Chase pitched fantastic,” Murphy said. “I can’t put this [loss] on Chase.”

But the Griffins put it to a pair of relievers to blow it open.

The Sailors were, Murphy said, never blown away.

“We knew we weren’t going to keep winning for an entire season, but we didn’t want it to end today,” Murphy said. “I really felt like this was a better game than the score would indicate. I felt like every big at-bat that came up for us, [the visitors] made a play. We had some pretty good at-bats in those situations, but they made the play. Ultimately, we did not make the play in the big at-bat situation.”

Griffins catcher Brad Hartong picked off a Sailors’ runner straying from first base to help thwart a third-inning uprising by the hosts, who hit into inning-ending double plays in the fourth and fifth innings.

Austin Wobrock drove in the third run in the seventh with a two-strike single that exemplified his team’s unwillingness to submit.

Wobrock, a senior shortstop, was two for three and was involved in relay plays that twice nailed Griffins on the base paths, one at home and one at third.

Senior second baseman Jacob McCann went three for three with a stolen base to highlight the Tars’ eight-hit attack.

Sunset League

Los Alamitos 13, Newport Harbor 3

SCORE BY INNINGS

Ferramola, Lorenzini (7) and Hartong; Kapana, Albert (6), Girard (7), Rios (7) and Davey. W – Ferramola, 1-2. L – Kapana, 5-1. 2B – Lorenzini (LA), Vilter (LA). 3B – Lorenzini (LA). HR – Albert (NH).