Locals contribute to title

Three Laguna Beach youth baseball players started their club baseball season on a winning note last weekend.

Ashton Goddard, Blake Burzell and Brett Sveningson are members of the SC Spartans club team, which concluded play Sunday at the USSSA-sponsored tournament, the August Heat Classic. The team went 5-0 in the 10 Majors Division to win the championship.

The two-day event was held at the Chino Hills Big League Dreams Park where iconic Major League fields such as Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Ebbets Field have been recreated.

The Spartans won both games they played on Saturday and won their first game Sunday to advance to the semifinals. Another win clinched a spot in the championship game.

Goddard, Burzell and Sveningson provided key hits and contributions that guided the team to the title. Burzell closed out the tournament run with a commanding performance on the mound. Goddard, playing second base, made a diving catch of a ball sent toward right field to record the second out of the final inning with two men on base. Sveningson stole home in the fifth inning to keep the Spartans in the lead.

The local players played on a Laguna Beach Little League team that won the AA championship two years. This year, Sveningson was on the Laguna Beach 9/10 All-Star team, Burzell played as an 8-year-old but was ineligible for a spot on the 9/10 All-Star team and Goddard played Mustang Baseball in Dana Point.

“The Spartan ball players battled through the weekend with a never give up attitude winning all five games in 90-degree heat,” Spartans Coach Kent Sveningson said. “I am really proud of our boys, as they had to come from behind to win in both the semifinal and championship games.”