Youth Scene: Thurston surf team second in competition

The Thurston Middle School surf team competed last weekend at the Scholastic Surf Series Middle School Championships and earned a second-place finish.

Thurston’s runner-up finish to San Clemente Shorecliffs was its highest team placement at the championships. Thurston captured the team title in the Girls’ Longboard division.

Twenty-eight middle school teams from Santa Cruz to San Diego competed for team and individual honors Saturday and Sunday at Oceanside Harbor’s South Jetty.

Thurston Individual Results

Boys, Shortboard: Trey Lockhart, fourth place.

Girls’ Shortboard - Kelly Smith, sixth.

Girls’ Longboard: Liv Stokes, second; Lola Fisher, sixth.

Bodyboard: Cole Fink, sixth.

Thurston Team Results

Overall: Second.

Boys’ Shortboard: Third.

Girls’ Shortboard: Second.

Girls’ Longboard: First.

Bodyboard: Sixth.

— Reader submission

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Laguna Beach Little League

In a well-played game by both teams, Southland Eye Care (8-2-1) prevailed, 5-3, over Payoff.com (4-7) in a six inning nail-biter at Riddle Field.

Luke Machin (five hits, three walks, four strikeouts, one run) led the Southland charge going 4 2/3 innings. Cade Anderton (1 1/3 innings, three hits, two strikeouts, two runs) closed the game and faced the top of Payoff’s lineup in the bottom of the sixth. The game ended on a close play at second when Ryan Moellenhoff attempted to stretch a single into a double, only to be thrown out by Southland center fielder Zade Harrison.

Southland’s offensive attack was led by Max Burchi (two for three, RBI, run), Noah Neufeld (single, walk, RBI), Machin (hit, two runs), Anderton (hit, RBI), and Harrison (hit, run).

Southland’s defense was led by brothers Cade Anderton (shortstop) and Luke Anderton (second base) who combined for six assists and five putouts and played error-free in the field.

Payoff stayed in the game based on the strong pitching of Ben Reimers (three innings, no hits, three walks, hit batter, one run), Ben Neufeld (two innings, four hits, two walks, three strikeouts, three runs) and Brandon Britt (one inning, two hits, one strikeout, one run). Britt also doubled three times in a three for three hitting day and scored twice. Reimers had a hit, walk and drove in two runs, Moellenhoff had an RBI, Redmond Chesley doubled, Dylan McEachern singled, walked and scored, and Camden Gilles singled and walked.

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