Laguna stars relish big win

The Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division All-Star team not only

enjoyed a rare moment in its District 55 tournament playoff history

Monday night, but it did so with great relish.

Laguna Beach pummeled Northwood, 14-7, at Woodfield Park in Aliso

Viejo, a win which gave the league its most lopsided district victory

in recent memory.

The win advances Laguna Beach into a 10 a.m. Winners Bracket game

Saturday at Woodfield Park against the winner of Tuesday’s matchup

between Lake Forest-National and Laguna Niguel.

“I can’t remember when a Laguna Beach Majors All-Star team last

won a tournament game, but I think it’s been something like more than

five years,” Laguna Beach manager Steve Contursi said. “This was a

great win for the league.”

League records show that a Laguna Beach Majors Division team last

won a district All-Star game in 2000, when it defeated Rancho Santa

Margarita North, 3-2.

It was the tournament opener for Laguna Beach, which was taking on

a Northwood team that opened the tournament Saturday with a 12-5

whipping of South Irvine-American.

Laguna Beach, however, never shied away from the challenge. In

fact, the local All-Stars were the team in control throughout the

night.

A big third inning, which saw Laguna Beach hit three home runs en

route to seven runs in the frame, put the game away.

The scoring began when Alex Ianotti delivered a two-run home run,

then Alec Burk made it back-to-back homers when he hit a solo home

run.

The stroke of the game, though, came with two out and a 2-2 count

on Stevie Contursi, who sent a shot that traveled more than 250-feet,

a shade left of and over the fence in centerfield for a grand slam.

“I’ve been managing Little League teams for many years, and that

third inning was probably the most exciting inning I’ve ever

managed,” Steve Contursi said. “To have two big home runs, then see

my son hit a grand slam to cap the inning, well, that was incredible.

“The game was basically all over, after that third inning. Our

kids were just amazing tonight.”

Laguna Beach racked up 15 hits en route to their 14 runs, with

Keaton Jones going three for five with two runs scored.

The hitting onslaught also included Brian Vail at two for four

with two runs scored, Stevie Contursi with two hits, a run scored and

six RBI, Burk also singled and scored three runs, Michael Hyden

doubled with an RBI, Spencer Friedenrich singled with an RBI and

scored once, Rex Strombotne singled with an RBI, Shane Takabayashi

singled and scored twice and Austin Paxson singled.

Stevie Contursi also got the pitching win.

Contursi, who recorded a whopping 100 strikeouts during the

regular season and in his first year as a pitcher, struck out four of

the first five batters he faced and finished with seven strikeouts,

overall, in five innings of work.

Paxson finished off the victory by pitching the sixth, and struck

out the final three batters he faced.

The duo was backed by some big defensive plays, too.

“There were some really spectacular plays our defense came up

with, especially by Alec Loechner and Brian Vail,” Steve Contursi

said.

In the bottom of the second, Loechener made what Contursi called a

“major league” play, when he spread himself out to make a diving

catch in left field.

In the bottom of the third, Vail also spread himself thin and came

up with a diving catch between third base and his position at

shortstop.

“This was a pretty exciting win for us, and I hope it gives up

some confidence and momentum heading into Saturday’s game,” Contursi

said.

Junior Division tournament

The Laguna Beach and Saddleback All-Star teams open up the

six-team Junior Division tournament when they face off at 9 a.m.

Saturday at Windrow Park in Irvine.

A victory in that game would send Laguna Beach into a 6 p.m.

meeting Sunday with host South Irvine.

A loss would put the team into a 7 p.m. elimination game Monday.

Majors Division scoreboard

(games reported through Tuesday)

Laguna Beach 14, Northwood 7

Northwood 12, South Irvine-American 5

Laguna Niguel 9, Newport Beach-National 0

Saddleback 6, Lake Forest-American 2

Newport Beach-American 10, South Irvine-National 0

Rancho Niguel 6, Laguna Hills 4

Junior Division schedule

(all games Saturday, Windrow Park)

9 a.m.: Laguna Beach vs. Saddleback

Noon: Rancho Niguel vs. Laguna Niguel

3 p.m.: Northwood vs. Aliso Viejo