Locals drop close one

Like a prize fighter, the Laguna Beach All-Star 10/11 year-old Baseball team showed plenty of punch in its Little League District 55 Tournament opener Saturday against Newport Beach American.

The opponent, however, threw the final blow.

Newport Beach American used a walk-off home run in the bottom of the sixth at the Laguna Hills Sports Complex, and the final score card read 10-9 in favor of Newport.

Laguna Beach played Rancho Niguel on Tuesday in an elimination game. The score wasn’t available at press time.

“First of all, I loved the way our kids hit the ball,” Laguna Beach Manager Bill Burk said. “We executed the sacrifice bunt perfectly on a few occasions in the game, and that was great to see.

“Even though Newport went up on us in the middle innings, our kids kept fighting the whole way through. They refused to give up. As a coach, that’s all that you can ask of your team.”

Laguna opened up a 2-0 lead in the top of the first Saturday when Robert Clemons Jr. reached base on an error, Garrett Burk singled and when a hard-hit infield grounder by Elijah Cassard was misplayed, both Clemons and Burk scored.

Laguna didn’t buckle when Newport Beach American scored three runs in the third to take a 7-3 lead. Instead, they came off the ropes in the top of the fourth to tie the score again.

A double by Adam Rodner, triple by Clemons and singles by Garrett Burk and Cassard led to the first two runs of the inning.

Newport Beach American scored single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to go up, 9-7. The score might have been worse, but Adam Farsheed made two crucial diving catches in right field — one along the foul line, the other at the fence — to keep it a two-run game.

“Those plays on defense by Adam were outstanding,” Bill Burk said. “They both brought ‘wows’ from the crowd.”

In the top of the sixth, Cassard doubled and Rodner singled. One out later, Sundance Severino delivered a key single that scored Cassard. Then, Laguna laid down a well-timed sacrifice bunt courtesy of John Paul Wollamthat tied the score at 9. However, Newport won it in the bottom of the sixth on a walk-off home run.

10/11 All-Stars: Manager: Bill Burk; Coaches: Robert Clemons, Paul Wollam, Keith Peery, and Jim Wogulis. The roster: Garrett Burk, Elijah Cassard, Robert Clemons Jr, Brett Dunlavey, Adam Farsheed, Jake Hexberg, Jacob Kunkel, Morgan Lebby, Duncan Lynde, Adam Rodner, Curtis Revels, Sundance Severino, Barrett Thorton, Sam Wogulis, John Paul Wollam.