Laguna splits in Lemmon invitational

The journey through the 2016 Ryan Lemmon Invitational for the Laguna Beach High baseball team featured moments of standout efforts coupled with a few setbacks during the four games, four-day event.

Through it all, the Breakers won two of their four matchups in closing out the nonleague portion of their schedule. Now, they head into a long break from game action until they resume their Orange Coast League season.

On the final day of the tournament Wednesday at Windrow Park in Irvine, Laguna dropped a 2-0 decision to University. The Breakers managed only two hits, getting a double from sophomore Jeff Bruyntjens and a single from senior Zak Kovacic.

The loss sent the Breakers, who are idle for nearly two weeks, to 6-9 overall.

“We played tough against a good team, and just could not get the timely hit we needed,” Laguna Coach Mike Bair said.

At the tournament Tuesday, Laguna put a 5-0 shutout on Woodbridge, the sixth-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division 3. Senior Will McInerny singled and drove in two runs, senior Connor Basile went two for two with an RBI, junior Ashton Goddard (double) went two for two and walked, Bruyntjens tripled with an RBI, and sophomore Dante Faicchio had a hit, walk and RBI.

Goddard’s offensive output complimented his outstanding pitching performance. He allowed only three hits and a walk and struck out 10 in a complete-game victory.

Laguna recorded its second shutout win of the tournament, and third shutout in four games overall.

Goddard went on to be named to the all-tournament team.

“It was our best game of the season,” Bair said. “Every single player brought their focus and energy and beat a tough team. Ashton [Goddard] was brilliant on the mound and helped us with the bat.”

The Breakers opened the tournament Saturday at Windrow Park against Irvine and shut out the Vaqueros, 4-0. Senior John Ogden allowed only three hits and struck out eight in going the distance. On offense for the Breakers, Bruyntjens, Kovacic (double) and senior Alex Baker (two RBIs) each had two hits, Faicchio doubled with an RBI, and Basile doubled.

“John Ogden was able to throw his slider for a strike and keep hitters off-balance all game,” Bair said. “It was an outstanding performance and really helped our pitching depth for the tournament.”

In a tournament game Monday, Laguna suffered its first loss despite getting seven hits but five errors proved critical in a 3-1 setback to Long Beach Poly. Bruyntjens had two hits and drove in the lone Breakers run, and McInerny doubled among two hits.

“We had a lapse defensively but [Blake] Burzell was able to make some big pitches and keep us in the game,” Bair said. “We were flat offensively and really could not get anything going in the game.

“I think this served as a wake-up call for us as a team. We know we can be better.”

In the tournament’s championship game Wednesday between teams that also met in last year’s title game, Marina repeated as tourney champion by defeating Long Beach Millikan, 2-1.

Prior to starting the Lions Tournament, Laguna overpowered host Saddleback, 22-0, in a March 25 Orange Coast League game. The win put the Breakers at 4-0 in league and pushed their league winning streak to 52 straight.

The Breakers are off until April 12 when they play a 3:15 p.m. Orange Coast League home game against Godinez. They defeated the Grizzlies March 18, 12-2, in the first league meeting of the season between the teams.

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Softball

The Breakers’ nonleague game scheduled for Tuesday at Bolsa Grande was canceled, Breakers Coach Nikki LeMottee-Dale said.

In a nonleague game March 24, the Breakers opened their home slate at Thurston Middle School and lost to Century, 11-8. The setback put them at 2-5 overall.

The Breakers play a 3:15 p.m. nonleague game Friday at Corona del Mar. It is their final game before starting their Orange Coast League schedule April 12 at home against Godinez.