By Mike Sciacca
In its final home game of the regular season, the Laguna Beach High baseball team went out with a bang, and another undefeated run through Orange Coast League competition.
The Breakers were all over Costa Mesa, winning, 26-1, May 15 to complete its second-straight 15-0 march in league play. A Senior Day celebration included several highlights including a pair of home runs by senior Steven Harrison, and senior ace Grant Wilhelm getting his 11th win of the season to stay perfect at 11-0.
“Each of our seniors played very well, like they have all season long,” Laguna Coach Mike Bair said.
The five senior players did.
In addition to striking out five and allowing only two hits and a walk in four innings pitched, Wilhelm had four hits including two doubles and drove in five runs. Richie Nunis’ big day at the plate included two doubles and a home run, good for five RBIs. Preston GrandPre doubled twice and drove in two runs, and Garrett Burk had an RBI.
OCL champion Laguna, ranked seventh in the final CIF Southern Section Division 4 poll of the regular season, started postseason play Thursday. The Breakers took a 24-2 overall record into a first-round matchup with Nordhoff. The score wasn’t available at press time.
Nordhoff, the No. 3 team from the Tri Valley League, earned the right to face Laguna by defeating host El Segundo (Pioneer League No. 3), 2-1, in a division wild-card game Tuesday.
The Nordhoff-Laguna winner advances to a second-round game Tuesday against the winner of Thursday’s first-round game between 10th-ranked Alhambra (Almont League champion) and Fontana (Sunkist League No .2).
“We are anxious to play and are ready,” Bair said of the postseason. “We have five seniors with CIF playoff experience and believe we can win.
“We have to execute the details of the game, win innings, and play like we can.”
Division 4 quarterfinal games are May 30, semifinal games June 3, and the division championship game is 7:30 p.m. June 7 at UC Riverside.
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Softball
The Breakers went out of the 2014 season on a high note May 15 by rolling to a 10-4 victory over host Costa Mesa in an Orange Coast League finale for both teams.
Senior Veronica Clancy went three for four and the Breakers also received key hitting from senior Jordan Hartman and juniors Halle Redfearn and Jen Sorensen.
Redfearn also collected the pitching win, her fourth win in league for Laguna which went 4-6 in league.
The Breakers went 6-19 overall.
“We had a rough preseason but came back strong to end it,” said Nicole LeMotte who took over head coaching duties for the Breakers midway through the season. “Now, we just work hard for next season.”
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