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PREP BASEBALL : Pacific Coast League : Hawks Defeat Orange : Laguna Hills Gets First Championship With Its 7-2 Victory

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Times Staff Writer

The comeback of 1988 at Laguna Hills High School was completed Friday as the Hawks defeated Orange, 7-2, to clinch their first league baseball title.

It was the 11th straight victory for the Hawks after they struggled to a 3-8 record to open the season. Laguna Hills (14-8, 11-2) will conclude play in the Pacific Coast League next week against last-place Laguna Beach.

Orange (13-10, 9-4) was beaten by Laguna Hills for the third consecutive time, marking the first time the Panthers have been swept in three games since the league was formed two years ago.

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Laguna Hills capitalized on two consecutive errors by Orange shortstop Emilio Avila to score four unearned runs in the fourth inning. Orange had trimmed a 3-0 deficit to one run in the top of the inning on first baseman Jesus Romo’s two-run homer.

Ron Kortman (6-4) went the distance for Laguna Hills and allowed only six hits, earning his fifth consecutive win. Both of the runs scored off Kortman were unearned.

In a sense, Kortman typifies the character of the Laguna Hills’ team. He was 1-4 after the Santa Ana Elks tournament. But veteran Coach Jack Hodges said he never doubted his team’s ability.

“This has been my most satisfying year,” he said. “When we were 3-8, we could have gone the other way, but the kids kept working hard and believed in themselves. We beat Santa Ana Valley, 18-2, in the last game of the tournament and turned things around after that.

“Even when we were losing, we were playing well. We lost to three very good teams--Irvine, Santa Ana and Foothill--in the tournament. The pitching was always there, and now the hitting is coming around.”

Laguna Hills had 10 hits off losing pitcher Brian Smith (7-3) and reliever Sean Sutton. First baseman Rob Milo had three singles, shortstop Mike Helm had a single, double and two RBIs and left fielder Mike Smedes hit a single and a double. In other Pacific Coast League games:

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Woodbridge 6, Laguna Beach 5 (8 innings)--Robb Lee singled home Derrick Odum in the bottom of the eighth to give (7-15, 5-8) the victory. Jason Burke (2-3) went the distance for the victory. Danny Lane hit a two-run homer for Laguna Beach (6-12, 3-10). It was his ninth home run of the season, a school record.

Trabuco Hills 6, Costa Mesa 0--Dave Lowery (4-3) threw a two-hitter to lead Trabuco Hills (12-8, 8-5) at Costa Mesa (9-14, 3-10). Troy Blan had two hits and two RBIs for Trabuco Hills.

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