Sea View League : Dishon Returns to Help Newport Harbor Win, 6-3

Newport Harbor High School took a major step toward earning the third and last Sea View League playoff spot by defeating second-place Estancia, 6-3, Friday at Newport Harbor.

With the win, the Sailors (6-4 in league and 10-10 overall) tightened their grip on third place, remaining two games behind league-leading University and one-half game out of second place.

The game was especially sweet for Newport Harbor because it marked the return to action of Jon Dishon, who had missed the last seven games with mononucleosis and had recently hurt a pitching finger trying to dunk a basketball in a pickup game.

Dishon pitched 6 innings, giving up only two hits, but walking 10 and hitting one batter. The walks resulted in only one run until the last inning, when he walked four and was relieved by Dean Martinez.

Martinez came on with the bases loaded, two out, and one run in, but managed to strike out the only batter he faced to preserve the win for Dishon.

“It’s great to have Dishon back because when he left, we not only lost a pitcher and a slick-fielding first baseman, but he had 17 RBIs as well,” said Newport Harbor Coach Wayne Heck.

A designated hitter batted for Dishon so he could concentrate on the pitching Friday.

“All we wanted from him was two good innings pitched,” Heck said. “He looked tired as early as the fifth inning, but he said he felt OK, so we stuck with him. We had a good lead then so we could afford to.”

Dishon had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning before Estancia’s Scott Clements singled sharply to center, putting runners on first and second since the previous batter had walked, but Dishon struck out cleanup hitter Eric Van Doren to end the threat.

Estancia did get two runs in the sixth inning behind a walk, a triple, and a throwing error on the triple that allowed that runner to score, but by then Newport Harbor had a six-run lead.

The Sailors scored three runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings and then played good defense the rest of the way to offset all of Dishon’s walks. The only Newport Harbor error came in the opening inning on a first baseman-to-pitcher putout at first that pulled Dishon’s foot off the bag.

Newport Harbor jumped on Estancia starter Matt Hatfield for its first three runs behind a three-run home run by third baseman Mike Jarboe. Chris Hirahara and Chris Parks opened the fourth inning with singles before designated hitter Ed Milum’s fly ball was caught in deep to left.

Milum had the right idea but not enough power on that hit because strong winds were blowing from right to left field at the time. Jarboe then popped one up into the gale, the ball sailed over the left-field fence, and the Sailors took a 3-0 lead.

The Sailors added their final three runs with a walk, a double, a single, and another double in the fifth inning.

Despite some anxious moments in the last inning--Estancia loaded the bases and had the lead run at the plate--Newport Harbor came away with a win that could help advance them to the playoffs.

In other Sea View League action:

University 10, Corona del Mar 1--The Trojans (8-2) pounded Corona del Mar pitching for 16 hits and easily defeated the host Sea Kings. University led, 4-1, after five innings and then scored five times in the sixth to break open the game.

Jeff Baker went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored for University, Mark Favorite was 4 for 5 with three runs scored and Brett Howard was 2 for 3 with two RBIs.

Clayton Walker (2-0) went six innings and allowed only one hit to get the win.

Woodbridge 7, Costa Mesa 6--Left fielder Matt Seymour made a diving catch with the tying run at third base, the winning run at second and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to save the victory for Woodbridge.

The Warriors led, 7-1, going into bottom of the seventh when their pitchers began to have control problems. Three Woodbridge pitchers worked in seventh, and they combined to walk two batters and hit three others.

Scott Rogers, in relief of winning pitcher Mike Murphy (1-1) and Marc Fertig, got a save. Seymour was also Woodbridge’s offensive leader. He went 3 for 3, including a three-run triple. Teammate Cam McNee was 2 for 3 with a run scored.