Duncan battles for Newport Beach

LAGUNA HILLS — With his team down 8-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Tyler Duncan launched his pitch towards Lake Forest’s Ryan Andrew.

Andrew hit a screamer that struck Duncan in the foot. The spectators gasped.

Despite the Newport Beach National All-Stars losing, 10-1, to Lake Forest National on Friday, pride and determination was demonstrated. Duncan showed that as his team was eliminated from the District 55 Tournament’s 10-11-year-old Division.

To the crowd’s ovation, Duncan stood back up and pitched. Fighting through pain, Duncan showed how tough 11-year-olds can be.

“Tyler is a very strong kid and he’s a dream to have on your team,” said Newport Beach Manager Keith Banning, who has coached Duncan all year. “After he got hit, he got stronger than he pitched all night and I stopped calling pitches. I said ‘Tyler, you’re an athlete. You go out there and you pitch your game.’ He actually pitched better than when I was calling pitches and I should have just let him pitch his game all day.”

Andrew proved to be a nemesis for Newport Beach. He led off the game with a home run.

But, Newport Beach struck back in the bottom of the first inning. Ben Banning singled past the diving pitcher and third baseman. Banning stole second base. Duncan then grounded out to first, but Lake Forest committed an error, allowing Banning to steal home.

Lake Forest regained control with five runs in the third. All nine players batted displaying stolen base after stolen base.

“We were keeping active,” Lake Forest Manager Sid Stoker said. “[Newport Beach] had a great team and obviously they’re an all-star group of kids. It wasn’t their night tonight.”

Newport found little momentum in attempts to rally.

“[Lake Forest] played fundamentally sound baseball,” Banning said. “We couldn’t get any rallies going and we didn’t have the timely hitting.”

Gannon Bond started the game for Newport Beach. Duncan followed and Will Fortier pitched the sixth.

“[Lake Forest pitcher Chasen Ford] threw a good fastball and they played very good baseball and made all the plays,” Banning said. “They beat us, I can live with that.”

The Newport Beach team assembled two weeks ago. Players pitched that normally don’t pitch.

“I had to take a bunch of kids who are very good athletes and take them from their natural position and put them on the mound,” Banning said. “Ultimately, they will probably be very good pitchers, but right now they haven’t had a lot of experience.”

JASON KORNFELD may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or at [email protected].