NEWPORT-TUSTIN BASEBALL TOURNAMENT : Even Scoreboard Bows to Mater Dei

Before the Knopf Field scoreboard at Tustin High School finally stopped recording the damage, the shadows were long and 25 runners had crossed the plate.

But that didn’t mean Mater Dei and Foothill high schools had stopped playing.

A few minutes before sunset Saturday, Mater Dei relief pitcher Jim Doyle got the final out in a 23-5 victory in the championship game of the Newport-Tustin baseball tournament.

The game was all but over by the top of the fourth when Mater Dei reserve third baseman Brian Hudson hit a pinch-hit grand slam over the left-field fence. At least, it was over as far as the scoreboard was concerned.

Hudson’s homer gave Mater Dei a 20-5 lead, but the Knopf Field scoreboard can’t display numbers higher than 19.

So for the rest of the game, the score was a mystery to any fan without a scorebook.

Mater Dei (5-1) had 21 hits, and all but four Monarchs got at least one hit in the three-hour game.

Designated hitter Keith Frankel, the Monarchs’ No. 8 batter, had a three-run double in the first, then added a two-run single an inning later.

Right fielder Jim Cook, Mater Dei’s ninth hitter, had two RBI triples.

By the fourth inning, Frankel, Cook and most of Mater Dei’s other starters had taken the rest of the afternoon off. But Hudson and the Monarch reserves didn’t make things any easier for Foothill.

“We just have a little too much power for them right now,” Mater Dei Coach Bob Ickes said. “We’re fortunate that we have a lot of very good athletes.”

Mater Dei relievers Doyle, Eleazar Elizondo and Mike Ferletic held Foothill to two hits. Ferletic (1-0) got the victory in relief of starter Dave Gonzales, who gave up a two-out grand slam to Foothill’s Kent Donnelly after walking the bases loaded in the second.

Foothill, which managed only four hits Saturday, fell to 3-1. Right-hander John Scardino (1-1) took the loss for the Knights.

In consolation games:

Tustin 15, Mission Viejo 2--Dan Baker pitched a three-hitter and struck out seven in six innings and Shawn Green had two hits, scored twice and had two RBIs to lead Tustin (3-1). Dan Taylor had three hits and one RBI.

Santa Ana Valley 6, Costa Mesa 0--Scott Crosby struck nine in five innings and got offensive support from Michael Murtaugh, who doubled, singled, scored and had two RBIs. Ron Sanchez doubled, singled, had a RBI and a run scored for Santa Ana Valley (2-2).

Santa Ana 10, Saddleback 2--Host Santa Ana was led by Adam Chavez, who struck out four in four innings. Octavio Medina and Victor Frank each had three hits for Santa Ana (3-1). John Morales had two hits and three RBIs.

Esperanza 10, Newport Harbor 0--Brad Aubuchon had three hits, a single, double and triple, had three RBIs and scored twice to lead Esperanza. Dan Reddington had two RBIs and scored two runs. Esperanza is 2-2.