Breakers bounce back
Having experienced something the program hadn’t gone through in 54 games, the Laguna Beach High baseball team rallied from a recent defeat to win back-to-back road games earlier this week to move back into the lead in the Orange Coast League.
The Breakers, who had their Orange County record league winning streak come to an end April 15 after a 7-3 loss at Godinez, came back Tuesday to down Costa Mesa, 9-6, and on Wednesday picked up an even bigger victory by shutting out host Calvary Chapel, 6-0.
Their new, two-game winning streak may be modest in comparison, but it’s important in that both victories kept the defending champion Breakers in the thick of the title chase.
Wednesday’s win against Calvary Chapel, ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division 4, at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa allowed Laguna to pull into a tie for first place in the league standings with the Eagles who were handed their first league loss.
Their fourth victory by shutout moved the Breakers to 7-1 in league and 9-10 overall.
Laguna Coach Mike Bair said Wednesday’s win came in his team’s most important game of the season.
“If we had lost this one, it would have been really tough to climb back,” he said. “We would have been two games down. Our backs already were against the wall but our guys really gave a great and complete team effort [Wednesday].”
That effort began in the top of the first inning when Dante Faicchio delivered a lead-off double for Laguna. It led to a one-run inning and a lead the Breakers wouldn’t relinquish. It continued in the bottom-half of the frame with the start of an outstanding pitching performance by junior right-hander Ashton Goddard who would register his second complete-game shutout victory.
The Breakers, leading 2-0 through 2 1/2 innings, blew the game open with a four-run fifth. Goddard ended the game with a strikeout in the bottom of the seventh.
“This started with Ashton Goddard throwing strikes and being in command of his pitches,” Bair said. “He pitched a great game and set the tone for us.”
Goddard suffered the pitching loss April 15 at Godinez, but he bounced back big-time in a big game. He scattered four hits and struck out seven in taking his record to 2-2 (2.86 ERA). He faced only 21 batters and retired the side in the first three innings and later retired the Eagles on three strikeouts in the sixth. He was backed by an infield defense that turned double plays in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.
“Ashton showed a lot of character, a lot of pride, in this game,” Bair said. “He was resilient, and our defense played a great game.”
Faicchio’s double to begin the game ended with the senior scoring after consecutive sacrifice outs by Connor Basile (bunt) and Dustin Angus (fly out, center field) brought him home.
Will McInerny, Laguna’s clean-up hitter, brought in the second run in the top of the third with a perfectly executed bunt single down the first base side that scored Faicchio who again hit a lead-off double to start an inning. Faicchio had advanced to third base on a single by Basile.
The Breakers took their 2-0 lead off Calvary Chapel starter Isaiah Lara, then got to Eagles reliever Jared Greer who entered the game at the outset of the fifth inning.
Basile got his second hit of the game when he started the fifth with a single through the left side of the infield. Angus followed with his second hit, and McInerny collected his second RBI when he flew out to shallow right field and Basile tagged from third to score. With two out, Zak Kovacic was hit by pitch, Jack Loechner ripped a run-scoring double, and Connor Coscino capped the scoring when he took the first pitch offered by Greer for a single up the middle that brought in the final two runs.
The Breakers went through their batting order in the inning.
“All of our at-bats bats were quality at-bats,” Bair said. “We were patient at the plate, we hit well, put runners on base, and followed through by bringing in runs. We just did a really nice job on offense [Wednesday].”
In Laguna’s 9-6 win Tuesday at Costa Mesa, Angus doubled twice and drove in three runs, Faicchio doubled among two hits and had an RBI, Basile tripled with an RBI, Cutter Clawson had three hits and McInerny two hits. Sophomore starter Blake Burzell allowed two runs without a hit, walked three and struck out five in four innings in recording the win.
The Breakers host the Mustangs at 3:15 p.m. Friday as the teams complete their three-game league series. Bair said Loechner will get the start as the Breakers seek a sweep of the series.
Laguna won the series opener, 10-4, March 22.
Next week, the Breakers host Saddleback in a 3:15 p.m. league game Tuesday, and finish the Newport Elks Tournament with a 3:15 p.m. game Wednesday at Corona del Mar.
As for the 53-game winning streak — which began after a 2-1 loss at Calvary Chapel in April of 2012, coming to a close, Bair said his team’s sole focus remains unchanged.
“It was a great run,” he said of the streak. “I congratulated them on a great accomplishment, but our goals this year are to win league and win a ring (CIF).
“The immediate effect of that loss was that it could be a great thing, depending on how we responded to it as a team. I think our players have done an excellent job in that respect, and the goals we have set are still intact.”
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Softball
The Breakers fell to 0-3 in Orange Coast League play and 2-10 overall after losses to Saddleback (6-4) after Costa Mesa (14-4) in the past week.
“We are a very young team with a lot of talent and athletic ability,” Coach Nikki LeMottee-Dale said. “We will keep getting stronger game by game.”
The Breakers hosted Estancia in league play Thursday. The score wasn’t available at press time. They travel for a pair of 3:15 p.m. league games next week and will face Calvary Chapel at TeWinkle Park Tuesday and at Godinez Thursday.
