Laguna United headed to Florida

Laguna Beach’s Girls’ Under-19 soccer team Laguna United has been selected to participate in the AYSO National Games held this summer in West Palm Beach, Fla. This established national soccer tournament held from July 4 to 12 provides a unique cultural exchange opportunity for numerous AYSO teams from across the nation.

Coach Richard Graham, who has coached AYSO soccer in Laguna Beach for 31 years, will lead Laguna United to the tournament. He has experience with trips like these, having headed a boys’ Under-14 cultural exchange trip to Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in 1990. More recently, he took a girls’ 14s team to the 2006 AYSO National Games in Chicago and a girls’ 16s team to the 2008 games in Hawaii.

The Laguna United squad will hold a fundraiser Sunday at the Women’s Club of Laguna Beach (286 St. Ann’s Street, at Glenneyre) to reduce uniform and travel expenses. You can win raffle and silent auction prizes from Roxy, The Montague, The Resort at Pelican Hill and Crevier BMW, along with VIP tickets to the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA matches.

There will also be live music and food. Graham invites the community to come meet the players and celebrate the team’s back-to-back-to-back appearances in the National Games, a first for Orange County. Cost is $20 at the door. For more information, contact Graham at (949) 306-5034.

The community is also encouraged to support with donations sent to AYSO Region 86/Girls U19 Games, 303 Broadway Suite No. 104, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651.

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LAGUNA BEACH LITTLE LEAGUE Majors Division

VFW 10, Rotary 4: Friday night at Riddle Field, Majors teams VFW and Rotary were ready to face off. Rotary started things off with a bang with three runs. Hits by Bruce Knill and Cole Calabrese put two on when Anthony Norelli hit a three-run home run against VFW pitcher Conor Hauer. Hauer, however, had two strikeouts and a throw to first baseman Tommy Ressler to stop Rotary.

Pitcher Cole Calabrese took the mound for Rotary. Ressler hit a pop up to first, which was caught by Nick Assad for the first out. Base hits by Nolan Del Toro, Hauer, Dane Olsen, Duke Holt, Daniel Peterson, Nathan Victor and Hank Glazer brought around five runs for VFW, for a 5-3 lead. A pop up to shortstop Norelli and a strike out ended the inning.

In the top of the second Bayley Thomas walked and eventually stole home for the fourth and final run for Rotary. Hauer had a strike out and throw to first Ressler for two outs. Nathan Victor on third picked up a grounder by Christian Torbenson, threw to first for the third out. Pitcher Calabrese kept VFW from scoring with two strikeouts and a caught pop up.

Dane Olsen relieved Hauer as VFW pitcher in the third inning and remained in the rest of the game. He prevented Rotary from scoring with seven strikeouts and great fielding by team VFW. Hits by Hauer, Olsen, Holt and a bunt by Peterson brought in three more runs for VFW in the bottom of the third. Max Brown came in to pitch for Rotary and finished out the game with four strikeouts. Nathan Victor hit a triple in the fifth inning to bring in Holt and Peterson, giving VFW its last two runs.

AAA Division

UPS Store 13, American Legion 7: UPS Store came from behind for an exciting win Friday night.

In the top of the first, Tyler Cheeves took the mound for UPS. Connor Brashier started things off for American Legion with a single. Dean Nunis batted Brashier in with a double. Blake Pivaroff singled to first and came around on great hits by Jonah Reynolds, Jack Smith and Hunter Johnson for three runs. Cheeves ended the ups with a strikeout, a fly by Timmy Loughlin caught by shortstop Tyler Jackson and a caught foul tip by catcher Jack Wills. In the bottom of the first, Bobby Gavin took the mound for American Legion. Jack Wills and Connor Coscino brought in two runs for UPS. Jackson and Ryan Blaser both stole home to give UPS four runs. Gavin had two strikeouts and help from a tag at first by Dexter Russo.

In the top of the second with one out, Nicholas Carpino hit a double for American Legion, followed by a walk to Russo. Nunis hit Carpino in and Pivaroff hit a double to bring in two more runs, giving American Legion the 6-4 lead. American Legion, meanwhile, kept UPS from scoring in the second with a strikeout by Gavin, a magnificent caught fly to right fielder Dillon Gaboury and a force at second by shortstop Pivaroff to second baseman Carpino.

Tyler Jackson relieved UPS pitcher Cheeves in the third. He prevented any runs by American Legion with three strikeouts. Brashier relieved Gavin also in the third. With two outs, UPS rallied, with hits by Ryan Blaser, Cameron Garcia, Jake Onadera, a bunt by Tyler Cheeves and a single by Wesly Witteman which brought in four runs.

The score was now 8-6, UPS Store.

The fourth inning brought in the last run for American Legion. Joseph Sweet grounded to center for a single. A single by Gaboury got Sweet to third, then Brashier hit Sweet home for the score. But UPS scored two runs in the fourth. A walk and two stolen bases by Kegan Babick put him on third and was hit on a double by Jackson. Justin Holm singled sending Jackson home. Pitcher Brashier had a strikeout, a caught pop up and assistance from Jonah Reynolds at first for the tag to end the inning.

UPS pitcher Jackson finished the fifth inning preventing any more runs for American Legion. Brashier was relieved in the fifth by Jack Smith, and UPS scored three more insurance runs by Witteman, Wills and Babick. Smith ended the game with two strikeouts and a force at home.