Someone placed a box, full of T-shirts, near the first-base line. The players rushed to it after a lady snapped like 100 photos.
Coach Joe MacDonald said one of those pictures is going up in his office. The Barons (8-7) won the tournament for the first time in his four years as coach.
MacDonald displayed a genuine smile for every picture. You might understand why after his Barons’ comeback against Newport Harbor (6-9).
The Sailors beat Fountain Valley, 3-2, last week in a Sunset League extra-inning game, leaving the Sailors tied for third for third place in league at 2-3, one game ahead of the Barons.
The same pitcher who went the distance against Newport Harbor did so again. This time, Cody Morad (3-3) only threw seven innings, instead of eight, and earned the victory.
“He’s been a bulldog for me the last two years,” MacDonald said of Morad, who struck out four and gave up four runs on five hits.
Alex Rios tagged the Barons’ big dog in the bottom of the sixth.
The clean-up hitter pounded an outside pitch to right field for a two-run home run, giving the Sailors a 4-2 lead, their first of the game.
The momentum appeared to be with the Sailors again late in a game against Fountain Valley. Errors hurt the Barons the last time and Morad said he “was kind of worried” of losing another tight one to Newport Harbor.
In one of the few times in the game, Morad made a mistake, falling behind, 2-0, in the count against Rios. Morad had mowed Rios down in the fourth, tying up the 6-foot-6 senior on the third strike.
Rios protected the inside part of the plate. When Morad missed the strike zone twice, Rios went the other way for his first homer of the season.
