English leather can’t save Cubs

Barry Faulkner

Baseball is challenging enough without a heavy measure of rust

buildup on one’s glove, a point the Newport Beach National Little

League Majors Division Cubs demonstrated Saturday.

The Cubs, champions of their league, but battling a three-week

layoff since last they played, committed five errors in the first

three innings, which led to five unearned runs in a 7-4 loss to the

Laguna Niguel Twins in the Cubs’ first game of the District 55

Tournament of Champions at the Laguna Hills Sports Complex.

Despite their early defensive struggles, the Cubs had their share

of web gems. For most of those, there was one common ingredient:

Something one might call English leather.

Matt English, who alternated between center field and right field,

made three acrobatic catches, including one he turned into a double

play.

“Those were three great catches,” Cubs Manager Scott Jones said.

The first English lesson ended a three-run second inning for the

Twins, as he slid to his knees to snare a sinking line drive to

center field, leaving two runners stranded.

After three straight hits produced two Laguna Niguel runs in the

fourth, English, this time in right field, charged in and hit the

grass with a lunging slide to flag another would-be hit.

The Laguna Niguel runner at third, believing the ball would drop,

had already crossed home plate before being alerted to get back. By

that time, the relay throw from English was delivered to third to

complete the double play and a groundout followed.

English, back in center field, made another sliding-diving grab of

a drive for the first out of a scoreless fifth inning.

The story of the game was not all defense for the Cubs, who were

knocked out of the single-elimination tournament that features top

teams from several leagues.

The Cubs finished 18-5.

Catcher Preston Risser provided the biggest offensive fireworks

for the Cubs, launching a two-run home run well over the fence in

right-center field to finalize the scoring in the fifth.

It was Risser’s first dinger of the season.

Emery Molnar, who started at first base and also pitched one

scoreless inning in relief, went 2 for 3 to pace Newport Beach’s

six-hit attack.

He singled with two outs in the first, advanced to second on a

wild pitch and scored on Austin Jones’ bloop single to right to put

the designated visitors on top.

After Laguna Niguel used an Austin Armer double to drive in

runners who had reached on an error and a walk to take a 2-1 lead in

the first, Newport Beach cashed in on some shaky fielding by the

Twins to pull even in the second.

English started the Cub’s rally by being hit by a pitch with one

out and Chasen McNaughton followed with a single to right.

The outfielder’s return throw to the infield sailed over the

shortstop covering second and went all the way to the fence in foul

territory behind third.

The Cub runners tried to take advantage of the miscue and advance,

but third baseman Dillon Bain chased down the errant throw and

relayed to pitcher Mark Wilson in time to tag a sliding runner at

third for the second out.

McNaughton, who advanced to second on the play, scored when a fly

to right by Parker Ewles was misplayed for a three-base error, the

last of Laguna Niguel’s three errors.

Ewles later singled to set the table for Risser’s homer.

Tommy Shaw added to Molnar’s effective mound work by throwing a

scoreless fifth inning.

Starter Austin Jones allowed only two earned runs in three-plus

innings on the bump.

Armer went 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles and drove in four runs

for the Twins, who defeated South Irvine, 7-2 Tuesday, behind 16

strikeouts from left-hander Erik Hsieh.

Hsieh, playing shortstop, and center fielder Dana Johnson each had

two hits for the Twins Saturday.

The Cubs also received season-long contributions from Scott

Youngman, Austin Metzger, Cole Cottrell, Jimmy Roney and Connor

Canali.

“I thought we hit the ball hard today,” Scott Jones said. “That

may have been the best we’ve hit in a while.”

Some of the Cubs will continue in All-Star competition. All-Star

teams will be announced next week.