Tars’ pitching stops Eagles

Barry Faulkner

If one wonders how focused the Newport Harbor High baseball players

and coaches are on the incremental progress of their program,

consider the minor detail that slipped by some of the Sailors in

Saturday’s 6-0 victory over visiting Estancia.

Through four innings, Newport Harbor junior starter Tyler Parker

had held the Eagles without a hit in the second round of Newport Elks

tournament pool play.

But, true to his plan, Coach Joel Desguin sent reliever Brett

Houten to the mound for the fifth.

The Eagles managed just one hit off three Newport Harbor hurlers

-- a Kane Curren infield single the Sailors’ third baseman stabbed on

a dive to his left, then threw just late to after scurrying to his

feet to open the fifth. But Desguin was surprised to learn of the

one-hitter afterward.

Catcher Jeff Sanchez, who continued his early-season hitting binge

and sparkled defensively, was similarly unaware of the flirtation

with a no-hitter.

But when it came to handling their business on the field, the

hosts (2-0) showed the kind of attention to detail that may help them

earn their first trip to the CIF Southern Section playoffs in 15

seasons.

“We’re playing well,” Desguin said. “We didn’t have as many hits

as we did yesterday [15 in a 7-2 season-opening win at Rancho

Alamitos], but we got a big clutch hit that we didn’t get [Friday].”

The clutch hit Desguin referred to was a two-out, bases-loaded

double by senior Kyle Kastner that broke the game open in the fifth.

Kastner’s shot to the gap in left-center field drove in two. A

third run scored on the play when the ball was bobbled in the

outfield.

Kastner’s clout, which followed a two-out error and a walk,

rendering all four runs in the inning unearned, provided ample

breathing room for the Sailors.

It also took the Eagles, who had six hits in a 9-1 loss Friday to Calvary Chapel, out of a game they had battled hard to stay in to

that point.

“All three of their pitchers did their job and that’s the

strongest Newport Harbor team I’ve seen in six years,” Estancia Coach

Jon Green said. “But if we don’t boot that [routine grounder] we only

lose, 2-0.”

Estancia starter Evan Van Geem was most responsible for keeping

the Eagles (0-2) within striking distance. He gave up six hits and

two earned runs in five innings, impressing Green in the process.

But Parker, who struck out seven, walked two and did not allow a

runner to reach second base, was the clear pitching star.

“That was a pleasant surprise,” Desguin said of the outing by

Parker, who he said struggled in a preseason scrimmage after posting

a 2-1 record as a spot starter last season.

“He was a little more relaxed, I think, out there today and coach

[Jim Keifer, who handles the Harbor pitchers] told him to go after

the hitters.”

Parker threw 42 strikes among his 65 pitches and threw a

first-pitch strike to 12 of 15 hitters.

Houten, who threw one inning, and Sean Rowe, who closed the game

with two hitless innings, continued that trend. Estancia’s 24 hitters

saw 19 first-pitch strikes.

Sanchez, who was replaced in the lineup by a designated hitter

late last season, was 2 for 2 with an RBI and was hit by a pitch in

his other plate appearance. He is now 5 for 5 this season.

Senior shortstop Patrick Keehan, who backhanded a liner on the

short hop to start a sparkling double play in the sixth, was 2 for 4

with a stolen base and a run. He scored on Rowe’s two-out single that

opened the scoring in the first.

Newport and Estancia play host to pool play games Tuesday.

Newport Elks tournament

Pool play

Newport Harbor 6,

Estancia 0

Score by Innings

*--*

Est. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 2

NH 1 0 1 0 4 0 x - 6 7 0

*--*

Van Geem, Curren (6) and Morley; Parker, Houten (5), Rowe (6) and

Sanchez. W -- Parker, 1-0. L -- Van Geem, 0-1. 2B -- Kastner (NH),

Keehan (NH).