Laguna Beach outlasts California

WHITTIER — The Laguna Beach High baseball team arrived late for batting practice prior to its CIF Southern Section Division 4 quarterfinal showdown Friday against California.

A 1½ hour bus ride on a holiday weekend got the Breakers to Rio Hondo College in Whittier with less than an hour to go before first pitch. The drive north, however, will be remembered.

Turns out, the bus ride wasn’t the only thing that was late about the game.

Laguna fell two runs behind after one inning, rallied to tie the score in the top of the fourth, and took its only lead in the game by producing what turned out to be the winning run in the top of the 12th, in defeating the host Condors, 3-2.

In a great game played between two league champions, the Breakers had the final say as they advance to the semifinal round for the second time in three seasons.

After three innings, it looked as though the Breakers’ postseason run would end in the quarterfinal round. They trailed, 2-0.

“I’m just deeply proud of our kids,” Laguna Coach Mike Bair said of his team’s spirited comeback victory. “They didn’t let up. The intensity and emotion was just there the whole game through, even in that first inning [down 2-0].

“This is just a great win for our team and we’re really excited to be moving on to the semifinals…and playing at home.”

Laguna is now 3-0 in postseason play, having won its last two games after long road trips. The Orange Coast League champion Breakers (18-12) went to Riverside Tuesday and scored a 4-0 second-round shutout of a Patriot team that had knocked out the division’s No. 1-seed, Chino Don Lugo, in the first round.

The Laguna program will make its third all-time semifinals appearance, and first home semifinal game since 1957, Tuesday and will host Ventura St. Bonaventure.

“We’re super-excited to be heading to the semifinals,” said Laguna team captain, starting catcher and closing pitcher Friday, senior Will McInerny. “It’s going to be a great game.”

McInerny, who caught the first six innings, was a big reason Laguna is moving on. He was the last of three pitchers for the Breakers, and shut down Del Rio League champion Cal Hi after entering the game with runners at the corners with one out in the bottom of the seventh.

On a safety squeeze bunt laid down by Cal Hi’s Gilly Rodriguez, McInerny threw to catcher Dante Faicchio, who started at third base, and he applied a critical tag on the Condors’ Brandon Acosta who attempted to score from third.

McInerny then got Cal Hi clean-up hitter Eric Sotelo to ground out to third to get out of the jam and put the game into extra innings.

Both teams had their chances to score over the next four innings, and it was Laguna which finally pushed through in the top of the 12th for the win.

Alex Baker led-off the 12th for Laguna. The senior had been 0-2 in his first two at-bats but three times he started an inning offensively (seventh, 10th, 12th) and in each instance, reached base. He singled twice and in the 12th, drew a walk off Cal Hi’s third pitcher, senior Jakob Farmer.

Sophomore Jack Loechner sacrificed Baker to second and junior Connor Coscino’s infield ground out to shortstop, sent Baker to third. With two out, senior Jack Simon sent a sharp grounder to second base and the ball was mishandled by Condors second baseman Jake Carmichael and went into left field. Baker scored on the error and the Breakers had their first lead.

Acosta came up with a one-out single for Cal Hi, only the second hit allowed by McInerney, but he was cut down attempting to steal second on a rocket throw to second by Faicchio behind the plate. With two out, Carmichael singled to left field but McInerny ended the game by striking out Rodriguez.

McInerny followed senior John Ogden on the mound and claimed his first win of the season (1-1, two saves). Ogden had replaced sophomore starter Blake Burzell at the outset of the sixth. The trio of right-handers held a potent Condors offense scoreless after the opening inning.

Burzell had trouble finding his zone in the first inning. Cal Hi (20-10) sent eight batters to the plate and scored two runs on two hits, two walks and an error. He settled after that and held the Condors in-check before giving way to Ogden.

The meat of Laguna’s batting order came through in succession in the top of the fourth. Senior Connor Basile hit a lead-off single up the middle and junior Dustin Angus ripped a double to the corner of left field. McInerny, batting in the cleanup spot, took the first pitch offered by Cal Hi starter Jakob Johnston for an sacrifice RBI fly-out to center field which brought home Basile.

Senior Zak Kovacic then laid down a textbook bunt to the mound on a hit-and-run and Angus hustled home from third to tie the score.

“I thought Blake did a great job after that first inning,” Bair said. “John Ogden twisted them up with his off-speed stuff, and we put Will [McInerny] in at the right time. He was great in closing this out.”

--

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca