AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL SOUTHWEST REGIONAL : Newbury Oaks Shut Down by Las Vegas, 4-2

Tighe Curran keeps getting bonked, thumped and knocked around, whether he wants to or not.

The Newbury Oaks left-hander was hit in the head by a pitch Wednesday, and eventually left the game.

In the eighth inning Thursday night, he was bowled over near first when he put the tag on an overzealous baserunner, who was ejected on the play.

Yet that was nothing compared to the blow he had suffered with the game on the line a few moments earlier.

Mike Loosbrook drilled a run-scoring triple off Curran to break a tie, leading Las Vegas to a 4-2 victory over Newbury Oaks in a second-round game of the American Legion Southwest regional at Cashman Field.

The defeat snapped a 32-game winning streak for Newbury Oaks (32-2), which will play Colorado in an elimination game today at 4 p.m. at Cashman Field.

With the score tied, 2-2, in the top of the eighth, Curran relieved starter Adam West with none out and a runner at first. Stepping in was Loosbrook, whose booming hit would break the dam.

Loosbrook, who was four for four with three runs batted in, drilled Curran’s first offering--a fastball--high off the 20-foot fence in left, some 365 feet from the plate to drive in Tom LaRosa.

“I don’t believe that,” Curran said. “I was just trying to get ahead in the count. There’s no way I thought he’d swing at that pitch.”

Tighe’s game was a tie no longer. When Loosbrook’s blast left the bat, Curran didn’t so much as turn around.

Loosbrook scored on a groundout to short for a 4-2 lead, negating a Newbury Oaks comeback.

Newbury Oaks trailed, 2-0, before breaking through against LaRosa in the bottom of the seventh. The two-out rally started when Ryan Kritscher singled to right, then stole second. After LaRosa walked Robert Fick and David Lamb, he surrendered a two-run single to Trent Martin, who had three of the team’s six hits.

Right-hander Matt Gondini then relieved, amid much second-guessing, and righted the ship to earn the victory. He struck out Jeff Olin with runners at first and second to end the threat, and allowed one walk over the final two innings.

Las Vegas (40-9) had done what most thought was improbable, if not impossible: shut down the Newbury Oaks offense, which entered the tournament averaging 12.7 runs a game. It also marked the team’s lowest run output of the season.

“If this was the end, I’d be more upset,” Newbury Oaks Coach Chuck Fick said. “We’re a long way from being done.”

West (11-2), a left-hander, took the loss, despite allowing just one earned run in seven innings. He allowed six hits, struck out three and walked two.

LaRosa, pumping in fastballs at about 85 m.p.h., stifled Newbury Oaks in the early innings.

Newbury Oaks blew a scoring opportunity in the fourth, when the bases were loaded with one out. LaRosa retired Jim Chergey on a looper to shortstop Shaw Casey--who caught the ball in shallow center with an over-the-shoulder grab--and fanned Jeff Hook.