Newport Mesa softball teams finish strong
The Newport Mesa softball 10-and-under and 14-and-under All-Star fastpitch teams had strong showings this season, each finishing second in their respective Amateur Softball Assn. District C tournament and qualifying for the ASA State C championship tournament.
Prior to the district tournament, the U-10 All-Stars won the Fountain Valley tournament and placed second in the Capo Valley and Costa del Sol tournaments. Newport Mesa went on to lose to Los Altos in the district tournament title game.
The runner-up finish in district qualified Newport Mesa U-10 for the state tournament in San Diego. The Newport Mesa team, known as the Fierce 14, ended up going farther than any other Newport Mesa U-10 team at state, finishing seventh out of 16 teams.
Los Altos knocked Newport Mesa at state, 5-4, in extra innings. Newport Mesa had runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it couldn’t push across the tying run and lost to the eventual state champion.
The U-10 team ended the season with a 31-7 record. The team included Lindsey Blanchfield, Peyton Burger, Anika Ewert, Bella Flores, Lexie Jordan, Caroline Kawabe, Jacqueline Knox, Caroline Leber, Katie Metcalf, Riley Orcutt, Nicole Ryu, Madison Santley, Rachel Smith and Audrey Tumbarello. Troy Metcalf, Tom Blanchfield, Steve Tumbarello and Mike Santley coached the team.
The U-14 All-Stars lost to Buena Park in the district final, before moving on to the state tournament.
At state, Newport Mesa lost its sixth game, 7-6, to Walnut, but it placed fourth out of a dozen teams. The finish in state is the best of any Newport Mesa team.
The U-14 team included Brenna Alvis, Mia Bagatourian, Ruby Ceballos, Samantha Del Toro, Kintak Keju, Kendal Machado, Haley Martinez, Ashley McNerney, Lauren Oberreiter, Diana Surber, Maddie Tumbarello and Skialer Carter. Fred Bagatourian, Kevin Del Toro and Chad Machado coached the team.
“We are very proud of all our players and how competitive Newport Mesa is against many larger and very tough leagues,” said Mike Leber, Newport Mesa Girls Softball’s president.
— From staff reports