Briefly In Sports

Little League teams open district play

Seven teams from Laguna Beach Little League began the third leg of its season this week with the start of the District 55 Tournament of Champions.

Firefighters (Junior), Fantasy Designs and HOBIE in Majors, Morgan Stanley and The UPS Store in AAA and Lumberyard and Hodes-Milman Angels in AA are representing Laguna Beach in the annual district event.

Laguna Beach’s Riddle Field is one of two host sites — the other is Rancho Niguel Little League’s La Paz Field, for the Minor Division tournament. The Majors division tournament is being played at Hick’s Canyon Park (Northwood Little League) and Chapparosa Park (Laguna Niguel Little League). Chapparosa Park also is the site of the Juniors tournament.

The District 55 tournament concludes with division championship action at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Fiesta Night a success

Laguna Beach Little League celebrated its 2010 season June 4 with Fiesta Night festivities at Riddle Field.

The league saluted the regular season and postseason tournament-winning teams, as well as all the participants who made the season a success.

Below are the teams who finished atop the regular season division standings:

Juniors: Firefighters

Majors Division: Fantasy Designs (first); VFW (second)

AAA Division: The UPS Store (first); Bushard’s Pharmacy (second)

AA Division: Lumberyard (first); The Termite Guy (second)

Below are the teams that finished first and second in the 2010 postseason tournament, as well as other winners during Fiesta Night:

Juniors: Firefighters

Majors: Fantasy Designs (first); HOBIE (second).

AAA Division: Morgan Stanley (first); The UPS Store (second)

AA Division: Lumberyard (first), Hodes-Milman Angels (second)

Home Run Derby Winner: Will McInerny

Best Chili, Overall: Submitted by the Ressler Family (Team VFW)

Best Chili, first runner-up: Submitted by the Gunell Family (Team Lumberyard)

JV softball team celebrates strong season

The Laguna Beach High junior softball team celebrated its successful season and return to Orange Coast League play Monday at a team banquet at Hotel Laguna.

The Breakers had plenty reason to celebrate: they went 13-5 overall and undefeated (6-0) in league play.

Coach Mike Hunter said his team exceeded expectations in 2010.

Team awards were presented to the following players:

Co-MVP: Haley Putnam, Kennedi Gherardini

Golden Glove: Cory Kent

Golden Bat: Katie Andersen, Taylor Weiss

Team Player: Chloe Mansour

Coaches Award: Bailey Hartman

Most Improved: Carissa Collins and Samantha Purll

Student Athlete GPA Awards: Karina Reiss, Chloe Mansour, Sarah Wellsfry, Haley Putnam, Bailey Hartman, Bailey Romatoski.

Laguna finished its season May 14 with an 11-2 nonleague victory over visiting Oxford Academy of Cypress at El Morro School. The Breakers took advantage of Oxford pitching to produce their 11 runs. Weiss and Grace Komoroczy both singled twice, Mansour had an RBI double, Kent hit a two-run triple and Gherardini and Putnam each hit a two-run home run.

Putnam controlled the mound, as well, and finished with 11 strikeouts while giving up just one earned run. Hunter said that Laguna will field full varsity and junior varsity squads in 2011.

He will conduct a summer softball program for all aspiring and returning players. For information, call the school’s athletic office.