Sailors Seal the Series: Newport Harbor Shuts Out Corona del Mar 2-0 in Rivalry Finale (2025)

Newport Beach – Stuart Fine Field (NHHS)

In the final and deciding game of the Battle of the Bay series, the Newport Harbor Varsity Sailors shut out visiting Corona del Mar 2-0, locking up the rivalry series behind clutch execution, smart baserunning, and stellar pitching.

Newport Harbor opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Lucas Perez roped a double to left field, then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Adam Martin. Moments later, Wyatt Gahm grounded out to shortstop, allowing Perez to cross home and give the Sailors an early 1-0 lead. Elijah Haseth followed with a single, but the inning ended with the one-run advantage.

Corona del Mar couldn’t find a rhythm offensively, going down quietly in the second and third innings. Their best early opportunity came in the top of the first, when Vince Menard doubled with two outs. But the threat quickly ended, as a strikeout by the Sea Kings left Menard stranded at second to close the inning.

In the bottom of the third, Newport threatened again. After two singles by Ryan Williams and Jackson Stremick, and a walk by Gavin Guy, the Sailors loaded the bases with one out. However, CdM’s defense came through with a strikeout and flyout to escape the jam.

Newport Harbor added insurance in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Williams was hit by a pitch and eventually marched his way to second through a sacrifice hit by Grant Horsley. Williams stole third and then scored on a CdM error, extending the lead to 2-0. 

CdM made a final push in the top of the seventh with a double from Dylan O’Kelly, followed by back-to-back singles from Charlie Kaster and Stevie Jones, but they couldn’t convert as Newport’s defense shut the door.

With a strong outing from Lucas Perez on the mound, and a defense that remained rock-solid, Newport Harbor secured another shutout victory and took the Battle of the Bay series (3-0) at home in front of their fans.