Breakers share OCL lead
The first round of the Orange Coast League baseball season is in the books for Laguna Beach and through their first five games, the Breakers went undefeated and had a share of the league’s top spot.
Victory No. 5 in league came Tuesday when the Breakers, playing for the first time in more than two weeks, rallied from an early deficit to record a 7-3 home win over Godinez at Skipper Carrillo Field.
The Grizzlies (1-5 league) took a 1-0 lead in their first at-bat, but Laguna responded with a two-run rally in the bottom of the first inning to go in front for good. The Breakers pushed across a single run in the third, put up three more runs in the fourth, and ended their scoring with a run in the sixth to take a 7-1 lead into the top of the seventh.
Senior Connor Basile went three for three with a double and scored three times, and sophomore Jeff Bruyntjens two for three with a double and two RBIs to pace the Laguna offense. Basile and Bruyntjens were two of four Breakers to double in the game, joining senior Will McInerny (RBI) and junior Ashton Goddard.
Junior Blake Burzell took the pitching win. In 4 2/3 innings on the mound, he allowed five hits, one run and one walk while striking out five. Sophomore Jack Loechner, who pitched an inning, got the save.
Laguna, which improved to 7-9 overall, ran its record league winning streak to 53 consecutive games.
The Breakers hadn’t played since completing the Ryan Lemmon Invitational March 25.
They previously took a 12-2 win at Godinez March 18.
“I was hoping the two-week game break would rejuvenate us and sharpen up our game, but we were a little bit rusty,” Laguna Coach Mike Bair said. “Fortunately, we played solid enough for the win.”
Laguna will play for the second time this year at Godinez when the teams complete their three-game series at 3:15 p.m. Friday. Bair said Goddard will get the start as the Breakers look to sweep the series.
The Breakers next week play three league games starting with a 3:15 p.m. contest Tuesday at Costa Mesa. They’ll open a key, three-game league series with Calvary Chapel at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday when the teams collide at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa. The Eagles also went 5-0 in the first round of league play.
Laguna will finish the Costa Mesa series when it hosts the Mustangs at 3:15 p.m. April 22.
At 5-0 heading into Friday’s matchup at Godinez, the defending league champion Breakers play 10 more league games to close out the regular season.
“We haven’t played Calvary yet, but the league looks like its shaping up to be a tough battle for a league title,” Bair said.
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Softball
The Breakers opened their Orange Coast League season Tuesday and dropped a 19-1 home game to Godinez at Thurston Middle School.
The Breakers hosted Costa Mesa in an Orange Coast League game Thursday. The score wasn’t available at press time.
Next week, the Breakers play a 3:15 p.m. league game Tuesday at Saddleback, and host Estancia at 4 p.m. Thursday at Thurston Middle School.
