Solid pitching helps Laguna

Mike Sciacca

Laguna Beach High’s run at the Newport Elks baseball tournament came

to an end with a two-game split.

The Breakers recorded their third win of the season by defeating

Saddleback, 5-2, but lost to Newport Harbor, 6-1, in their tournament

finale.

Against Saddleback, Kevin Kelly pitched a complete game victory.

He gave up just two runs in recording his second win of the season.

Saddleback did manage to grab a 1-0 lead after one-half inning,

but that lead was short-lived, as Laguna came up with two runs.

In the bottom of the first, Garrett Rauch and Noah Brewster each

reached base on errors, and Jason Wahler walked to load the bases.

Kelly then helped his own cause by doubling to right-center field,

scoring two runs for a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth frame, Saddleback strung together three singles

together to produce a run and tie the score at 2-2. But, just as it

did in the first inning, Laguna came back in the bottom of the frame

to score twice more.

Dane Vikander began the inning with a double to left center. One

out later, Calvin Mead singled to right to drive in the go-ahead run,

3-2. Meade went on to steal second base and score on an RBI single by

Rauch.

In the bottom of the fifth, Wahler finishes the game’s scoring

with a home run down the left field line.

Laguna could not continue that offensive momentum in its next

tournament outing, a 6-1 loss to Newport Harbor.

Starter Nate Pickett and reliever Anthony Schuller worked the

mound for the Breakers.

It was the first varsity start for Pickett, who pitched five

innings and gave up four runs.

Newport Harbor scored once in the first inning and tacked on three

more runs in the second inning, benefiting from two Laguna errors.

Laguna finally broke into the hit column in the third inning when

Jon Ewing sent a double down the right field line. Sam Palfreyman

moved Ewing over to third, and Ewing stole home on a wild pitch to

score what proved to be Laguna’s lone run.

The Sailors scored twice more in the sixth inning to complete the

scoring.

Jeff Bolar also singled for Laguna.

The loss left the Breakers with an overall record of 3-2, heading

into a Wednesday nonleague game against Costa Mesa.

During the Newport Elks Tournament, Laguna defeated Western, 7-4,

to open the season, then edged Bolsa Grande, 9-8, before falling to

Cerritos, 6-4.

Laguna opens its Pacific Coast League schedule today by hosting

Tesoro at 3:15 p.m.

The Breakers continue league play Monday by taking on Calvary

Chapel at Vanguard University, and play at Northwood on Wednesday.

Both of those games have 3:15 p.m. starts.