Newport Harbor bats explode early and Sailors pound CdM 12-3 in Battle of the Bay

Newport Harbor pitcher Cameron Mahaffy is congratulated by teammates after he comes off the field during Wednesday’s game. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

Newport Harbor’s baseball came out swinging Wednesday afternoon and didn’t let up in a Wave League game against Corona del Mar at Orange Coast College.

The Sailors scored three runs in the first inning and three more in the second and went on to capture a 12-3 victory over CdM in the first Battle of the Bay baseball game this season.

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“We felt we competed against Laguna Beach (a 7-4 loss last Friday) but our bats really never took off the way we expected them to and with our players’and our strength, it is kind of like a ticking time bomb. When it goes off, it’s scary and we were very, very focused,” said Newport Harbor Coach Evan Chalmers.

“What I told the players, ‘you play with focus, we know that,’ but today we played with passion and that means a lot in any ball game. We like to play against our crosstown rival but we hope we can bring that kind of passion to every game.”

Newport Harbor (8-4, 1-1) came out swinging. Cameron Mahaffy, who was also the pitcher, hit the first pitch by CdM starter Jarrett Thompson for a triple. He scored on a double by John Olmstead. Then, Braham Duncan followed with an RBI triple to put the Sailors ahead 3-0.

The offensive assault continued in the second inning when Mahaffy had an RBI single and Clay Liolios singled to drive in two runs to make it 6-0.

It was clear at that point it was going to be the Sailors’ day.

“This is my first game pitching an away game and I just thought I would get up there and put some pressure on them right away and get some momentum in the first inning,” said Mahaffy, the leadoff hitter. “We just got guys on and executed. We got the hitting going.

“Every game is like playoffs. We want to go out there and try and win every single game.”

Mahaffy was 3 for 3 at the plate with two runs scored and on the mound, he allowed three runs and seven hits while striking out five. Mahaffy improved his mark to 4-0. Lucas Woodruff finished the game with two scoreless innings, striking out two.

The Sailors added five more runs in the fourth inning. Olmstead and Liolios had RBI singles, Kelly Austin drove in a run with a double and Mac Briggs drove in two runs with a single. In the fifth inning, Liolios, the Sailors’ catcher, had another RBI single, capping a 3 for 4, four RBI day.

Corona del Mar (8-4-1, 0-2) broke the shutout in the fifth inning. Kieran Sidebotham singled and Nicholas Rottler drove him in with a double. Reece Berger then had an RBI triple and Matthew Decrona drove in another run on a groundout.

But it was not the Sea Kings’ day. Newport Harbor collected 16 hits off four CdM pitchers, including Thompson, who pitched the first three innings. Ryan Borquez, Luke Joyce and Carter Haight finished out on the mound.

CdM wound up with seven hits in the game, which was a Sea Kings’ home game.

“They hit the ball well all game,” said CdM Coach Kevin McCaffrey. “You have to give them all the credit in the world. They pounded the ball.

“We did not play very well. I’m not very happy with the way we competed. We got to have a different approach and we have to compete. I’m just very disappointed with the way we competed. I can take a loss and again you give them all the credit because they hit the ball so hard, but we did things that were out of character. We didn’t compete.”

On the other side of the field, Chalmers, the Newport coach, hopes his team can continue its solid play.

“The bats were alive for certain,” he said. “It’s a big park and their pitchers missed on a couple things and we didn’t miss today. Sometimes things run on all cylinders and today felt like that.”

NEXT UP: Newport Harbor hosts Marina while Corona del Mar hosts Laguna Beach on Friday. Both games start at 3:15 p.m.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com