Youth Scene: Laguna team wins gold at Arizona tourney

Cutter Clawson and Blake Pivaroff of Laguna Beach helped lead their Baseball Performance Academy (BPA) DeMarini team win gold at the USA Baseball National Team Championships-West tournament earlier this month in Arizona.

BPA DeMarini won gold in the 14-Under division. In the division’s championship game, BPA defeated Zoots Baseball (Northern California), 15-5, at Camelback Stadium in Peoria, AZ. BPA overcame a 5-3 deficit after 2 1/2 innings and used a nine-run outburst in the sixth to win going away.

BPA had advanced to the final by outscoring Pacific Baseball Academy (Los Angeles), 12-11, in the semifinals.

Clawson recorded the pitching win in a quarterfinal game against the Saddleback Cowboys Baseball Cardinal team. He allowed only one run over three innings and struck out one to go along with two walks and five hits in BPA’s 13-6 victory.

The National Team Championships-West tournament was open to teams in division 14U, 15U and 17U.

BPA was in Emerson, Ga. this week, playing at the Perfect Game World Series (wood bat). BPA won its first two pool play games of the tournament.

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Water Polo

Laguna Beach Water Polo Club and SET (Saddleback/El Toro) Water Polo Club teams opened Session 2 play Thursday at the USA Water Polo National Junior Olympics at the William Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine. The tournament, for divisions 10U Mixed and girls’ teams in division 12-under, 14U, 16U and 18U, runs through Sunday.

The Junior Olympics tournament is divided into two sessions. Session 1 started last Saturday and ended Tuesday and was open to 10U girls and boys’ teams in divisions 12U, 14U, 16U and 18U.

— From staff reports