Big fifth inning leads to win

Under the threat of rain, Laguna Beach Little League’s Laguna 5-0 hosted the Central Irvine Trojans in a Juniors division game at Alta Laguna Park on March 18. Laguna 5-0 came away with an 8-5 victory.

Laguna came up with a key defensive stop in the first inning when catcher Ian Detweiler threw to third baseman Kenji Lee to record an out on a Central Irvine runner attempting to steal third. In the bottom of the first, Mason Pitz walked and stole second and scored when starting pitcher Brett Tracy lined a single up the middle. Tracy stole second, went to third on a groundout and stole home to put Laguna in front, 2-0.

In the bottom of the third, Pitz again drew a walk and stole both second and third before walks issued to Tracy and Anton Faicchio loaded the bases. Pitz scored on a hit by Andrew Kimball to increase the lead to 3-1. That lead was short-lived as Central Irvine rallied in the fourth to score two runs on a single and double to tie the score at 3.

In the Laguna half of the fifth, Dean Hodes, Pitz and Tracy loaded the bases before Faicchio launched a double to deep right-center field, clearing the bases to put Laguna in front for good, 6-3. Kimball then walked, Lee singled to bring home Faicchio and Detweiler singled to score Kimball.

Lee replaced Tracy on the mound at the outset of the sixth. Central Irvine scored its final two runs in the top of the seventh.

— Shelley Detweiler, Community Correspondent