Sailors can’t crack Graham

IRVINE ? The Newport Harbor High and Woodbridge baseball teams are practically mirror images of each other. Both teams boast stellar defenses, are fundamentally sound and rely on solid pitching to keep scores low.

The Warriors were more effective with the formula on Thursday, when they edged the Sailors, 3-1, in a Sea View League game at Windrow Community Park.

The Sailors beat the Warriors, 3-2, in the first meeting between the teams March 17. In that game, Drew Harris picked up the victory, edging Beau Graham, who suffered his only loss of the season.

With the same pitchers taking the hill Thursday, the tables were turned. Again, both pitchers threw well, but Graham was slightly sharper this time, going the distance and holding the Sailors to six hits while striking out seven. Graham walked one and often dropped first-pitch curve balls in for strikes.

“He threw a lot of strikes with his 97 pitches,” Woodbridge Coach Bob Flint said. “In high school, if you can throw a couple of different pitches for strikes, you’re going to have success. Harris did that to us last time. He did it again, actually.”

Harris, a junior left-hander, went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking one. He left with two outs in the fifth inning after surrendering a double to leadoff man J.J. Altobelli and an RBI single to No. 3 hitter Kris Martin.

Senior Tyler Parker came out of the bullpen and induced a pop-up from Travis Rowatt to escape the jam. Parker also pitched a scoreless sixth inning, keeping the Sailors within striking distance.

But the Newport Harbor bats that were slumbering for most of the game did not hear the alarm. Only Dustin Schuler could muster a hit in the top of the seventh inning, but he never got past first base.

Skylar Cozad was the only Newport Harbor player with multiple hits. Cozad (2 for 3) doubled in the third inning. Unfortunately for Newport Harbor, it came right after a baserunner was thrown out trying to steal second. Cozad was stranded at second.

Cozad accounted for Newport Harbor’s only run of the game when he hit a one-out single in the top of the sixth inning. The senior took second on a pitch in the dirt, reached third when pinch-hitter Nick Frazier fisted a single to shallow right field and scored when P.J. Errington hit into a force out.

Newport Harbor’s three, four and five hitters combined to go 1 for 8 with no RBI and no runs.

Newport Harbor Coach Evan Chalmers gave most of the credit to Graham.

“He pitched ahead in the count and threw three different pitches for strikes,” Chalmers said. “He was pretty sharp today. I tried to change things up a little and let them swing at curveballs early in the count, but that wasn’t working.”

Graham almost always worked ahead in the count and took advantage of it. He struck out the side looking in the second inning.

“With two strikes we couldn’t put the ball in play,” Chalmers said. “If the pitcher is throwing all three of his pitches for strikes, you have to be able to put the ball in play with two strikes.”

Shortstop Jarrett Daniel led the defensive effort for Newport Harbor (6-5, 3-2 in league), making a key play in the hole between third and shortstop in the bottom of the fourth inning and scooping a short-hop from right fielder Schuler and making the tag on a close play at second base in the third inning.

Newport Harbor hosts Woodbridge (6-4, 3-1) in the rubber-game of the three-game series today.