Irvine Wins Tournament Championship : Kontures’ Triple Helps Vaqueros Shut Down Woodbridge, 9-0

George Kontures capped a six-run sixth inning with a bases-loaded triple to lead Irvine High School to a 9-0 victory over Woodbridge to win the Irvine Baseball Assn. tournament championship Saturday at UC Irvine.

Irvine (19-5 in summer play) got its first run of the sixth with one out on a run-scoring single by designated hitter Mike Nau. An intentional walk and a hit batter later, Kontures lined a Jason Hutchins’ pitch down the right-field line to clear the bases.

Irvine pitchers, freshman Bobby Ray, senior Jim Huntsberger and sophomore John Bretza scattered five hits while striking out five. Huntsberger, who relieved starter Ray in the third, struck out one and gave up three hits to pick up the win.

“Kontures’ hit really broke it open,” Vaquero Coach Bob Flint said. “He has had a very productive summer for us, and this hit was just one indication of how well he’s been doing.” The win spared Irvine from having to play Woodbridge later Saturday for the title in the double-elimination tournament. Irvine had not lost a tournament game, while Woodbridge had one loss.

Had Woodbridge (10-9) scored the victory, Flint said, Bretza would have started the second game.

“If we were tied or behind in the later innings, we wouldn’t have used Bretza (who pitched the final two innings) in the game,” Flint said. “Under those circumstances, we would have saved him for the second game because we would have needed all the fresh arms we could get.” Irvine got its first two runs in the second inning. After losing pitcher Pryor gave up a leadoff walk to David Goldstein, Nau squirted a single down the third base line. Terry Rahmatulla followed with a single to right to score Goldstein.

Nau, who advanced to third on Rahmatulla’s hit, then scored on a wild pitch.

Irvine increased its lead to 3-0 in the third on catcher Scott Vollmer’s run-scoring single after left fielder Anthony Hernandez doubled to right with one out.

Woodbridge could not advance a runner to third base until the sixth inning. After Pryor walked to lead off the inning, he advanced to third on Eric Broucher’s single.

Pryor was then caught in a rundown between third and home for the first out. An infield fly and a strikeout later, the Woodbridge threat was over.