Sea Kings scratch to victory

Mike Sciacca

It’s been a tough past week for the Laguna Beach High boys’

volleyball team.

In a showdown last Friday to determine first place in the Pacific

Coast League race, Laguna and visiting Corona del Mar scratched and

clawed in a tremendous match which, eventually, was pulled out by the

Sea Kings, 27-25, 27-25, 25-22.

On Tuesday, Tesoro moved into a second-place tie with Laguna by

holding off the visiting Breakers, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17, 18-25, 15-12.

The two losses left Laguna at 5-2 in league and 14-9 overall.

Andrew Chapel led Laguna in the Tesoro match with 17 kills.

Luke Morris had 15 kills and Chris Hoffman had 12, while Ivan

Kovacevic finished with four blocked shots and Clark Olson had 49 set

assists.

Against Corona del Mar, Laguna led in each of the first two games

before the Sea Kings rallied to win both games.

Corona del Mar coach Steve Conti, who said the rivalry between the

two schools is “fun and intense,” knew it would be tough to win on

the road, in a hostile setting such as Dugger Gymnasium.

“We just hung in there,” Conti said. “We showed a lot of heart and

desire.”

Morris led Laguna with 20 kills and Chapel added 12 kills.

Kovacevic had seven kills and three blocks, one of which was a

monstrous block which had put Laguna at game point in the first game.

Olson had 27 set assists.

The Sea Kings were led by the brothers combo of Tom and Kevin

Welch, both outside hitters, who finished with 16 and 13 kills, respectively.

Laguna will be out to even the season series tonight at 5:30 at

Corona del Mar.

In softball, Laguna Beach was handed a 12-2 mercy rule defeat

Tuesday by visiting Corona del Mar.

The Sea Kings put the game away by scoring seven runs in the top

of the sixth inning to open up a 12-2 lead.

Laguna managed to spoil the Sea Kings’ no-hit, shutout bid, by

scoring two runs in the sixth inning.

Meaghan McCulough, Anne Olson and Simone DeVilmorin each had hits

for Laguna in the sixth and final inning.

Michelle Tolfa got the win and went four-for-four on offense with

three RBIs to lead Corona del Mar.

Previously, Laguna lost to host Cavalry Chapel, 19-1.

Laguna scored its first and only run in the fourth inning to avoid

the shutout.

Mary Trout, a 2.40 hitter, scored Laguna’s lone run, with

assistance from the bats of Heidi Marriner and Rachel Rogers.