Breakers can’t rally

Laguna Beach came up with plenty of hits in its Orange Coast League baseball game against visiting Calvary Chapel Tuesday, but the Breakers couldn’t post enough runs Tuesday and lost to the Eagles, 7-5, at Skipper Carrillo Field.

Calvary Chapel led all the way. The Eagles held a 3-1 lead through the first inning and still led 3-2 before scoring twice in the third and sixth innings to open up a 7-2 lead.

Laguna rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but could get no closer.

The loss dropped the Breakers’ league record to 1-2 as they completed the first of four rounds of league play.

“Even though we lost, I’m pleased with the team right now,” Laguna Coach Dave Dopf said. “I think that we’re starting to click. Our hitting is really starting to come along.”

In their last two games — including a 7-3 win over Estancia on Friday — the Breakers have racked up 22 hits.

They outhit Calvary Chapel, 9-8, on Tuesday.

Of those nine hits, senior Trevor Pierce went two for three with two stolen bases, sophomore Gabe Stansbury was two for two with a run scored, junior Julian Deline had a pinch-hit run-scoring single in the sixth to keep Laguna’s late rally alive and junior Alex Gillette had a sacrifice fly that scored a run in the second inning and a two-run single to spark the sixth-inning rally.

In the win over Estancia, junior Zach Nuno allowed just two hits and no runs through five innings to earn the win. Deline closed the game. The Eagles scored three unearned runs in the sixth but Deline struck out the side in the seventh to end the game.

Trevor Pierce, who started the year as Laguna’s lead-off hitter but later was moved to the No. 9 slot before being inserted into his current No. 2 spot, continued his strong hitting with a three-for-four performance. Senior Dominick Robusto clubbed a pair of doubles in going three for four.

Sophomore Dillon Pierce and junior Dalton Sype each had two hits and senior Nathan Pickett doubled.

Laguna led from the start. The Breakers scored four runs in the first inning, another in the third, then capped their scoring with two more in the fourth.

Laguna begins the second round of league play at 3 p.m. today with a home game against Costa Mesa.

The Mustangs defeated the Breakers, 8-3, in the league opener for both teams on March 20.

“If we continue to hit the way we’ve been hitting and tighten up our defense, then we’ll be fine,” Dopf said. “Our defense has been making some errors in a few games that has cost us some runs. All in all, though, I think we’ll be all right.”