LOARA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT : Ocean View Takes Big Lead, Coasts

Ocean View took advantage of Huntington Beach starting pitcher Ryan Brannan’s wildness and some sloppy Oiler fielding to open up a big lead en route to a 12-3 victory and the championship of the Loara Tournament Saturday night at Glover Stadium in Anaheim.

The Seahawks (5-0) took an 8-0 lead in the first inning, as Brannan was unable to find the strike zone and his fielders were unable to get a handle on the baseball. Brannan (2-1) yielded five hits, two walks and two wild pitches before being relieved after two-thirds of an inning.

A wild pitch and Miles Hughey’s infield single scored the first two runs. But the big blow to Huntington Beach (5-2) was a double-play ball to second baseman Brian Batson that was bobbled, allowing another Seahawk run for a 3-0 lead.

A bases-loaded walk to Chris Castellano, an errant pickoff play, Steve Rivera’s line single to right, a wild pitch and another error--this one by shortstop Craig Daedlow--allowed five more Seahawk runs to cross the plate.

Huntington Beach, which was plagued by six errors in the game, narrowed the deficit to five runs, but the Seahawks scored three runs in the fourth, when Hughey scored from third on a balk and Brad Churchill doubled in two runs with a drive to left center. Starting pitcher Steve Carlson (1-0) picked up the victory for Ocean View. Rivera was three for three at the plate.