Laguna has strong showing

The season may have come to an end for the Laguna Beach Little League 9-and-10-year-old All-Star team this week, but the foundation for a bright future might have been set.

So says Coach Kent Sveningson, whose All-Star team was highly competitive in three District 55 All-Star Tournament games that saw the local team win one of those contests.

Laguna, which opened the important district tournament Saturday with a 12-2 mercy-rule win over Newport Beach National, saw its postseason end with a 21-20 loss to Northwood on Monday, which followed a 9-5 setback Sunday against Rancho Niguel.

Laguna played its tournament games at Bonita Canyon Sports Park in Newport Beach.

“Our kids gave an outstanding performance and quite an effort in the tournament,” Sveningson said. “I’m really proud of what they did. They were ahead in every game and were very competitive. Traditionally, Laguna teams don’t do well in postseason play, but this team did very well.

“I hope this experience gives the kids a taste of their talent potential and what the future can hold for them in Laguna Beach Little League. We should field a very strong team again next year.”

In its opener Saturday, Laguna’s hopes for postseason success skyrocketed after claiming an easy victory over Newport Beach National in a game that lasted just five innings.

Laguna jumped out to a 6-0 lead through three innings and led, 8-2, after four before closing out the mercy-rule win by scoring four times in the fifth.

“We had very dominant pitching in that game,” Sveningson said. “It was a solid all-around performance by our kids and a great way to open the tournament. The team was riding high after that win.”

Jake Flaxman pitched well the first four innings, giving up two runs before Brett Sveningson came in to close. Sveningson needed just 14 pitches to complete the victory.

That win sent Laguna into a winner’s-bracket game Sunday against Rancho Niguel. Laguna led, 4-2, after three innings but the game got away from the locals after that.

Saddled with one loss, Laguna squared off against Northwood in an elimination game. Neither team was about to leave the tournament without a fight and in a game that went down to the last out, Northwood outlasted.

Laguna was up four runs going into the top of the sixth. With one out in the inning, Northwood managed to produce six runs to take a 21-19 lead. Laguna scored once more in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn’t bring home the tying run, thus sending the All-Stars home from the tournament.

“It was a wild, wild game,” Kent Sveningson said. “There was lots of offense and both teams battled to the very end. We were up 7-2 after the first inning, then fell behind seven runs but came back strong to take the lead again. We just couldn’t close the door.”

The Laguna Beach Little League 9/10 All-Stars are: Ian Detweiler, Tyler Alter, Michael Shurtleff, Connor Hauer, Dane Olson, Nolan Del Toro, Will McInerny, Danny Pietig, Jake Flaxman, Zak Kovacic, Brett Sveningson, Davis Price, alternates Cole Calabrese, Seth Smith and Duke Holt, Coach Kent Sveningson and assistants Dan McInerny and Tim Kovacic.