Breakers claim 20th win of season; league title looms

A goal set last summer became a reality Tuesday for the Laguna Beach baseball team.

By beating host Godinez, 18-2, in Orange Coast League play, Laguna notched its 20th victory of the season. The win also put the league-leading Breakers at 10-0 in league and moved them a step closer to winning a league championship.

Tuesday’s outcome was never in doubt. Laguna (20-2 overall) posted four runs in both the first and second innings. The Breakers also scored the next seven runs to open up a 15-0 lead before Godinez scored twice in the bottom of the sixth.

Laguna had 12 hits led by Larry Stewart who went three for four with four RBIs. Steven Harrison, Austin Paxson and Travis Clawson.

Seventeen Breakers were either walked or hit by pitch.

“Our guys were very patient and took quality at-bats,” Laguna Coach Jeff Sears said. “One example was Taylor Preston, who drew a bases-loaded walk to force home a run. Taylor really worked their pitcher and then got an RBI out of it.”

Keaton Jones threw five innings to get the win and run his record to 4-0 (with five saves). Jackson Rees and Stewart both threw one inning.

Laguna completes its three-game league series with Godinez at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Skipper Carrillo Field. Sears said that Chris Paul (6-1) will get the start.

On Tuesday, the Breakers host Costa Mesa at 3:15 p.m.

“Winning 20 games was a goal we set last summer,” Sears said. “This, seriously, has been a team thing. There isn’t any one individual player but an entire team that has led us to this point of the season. Everybody really is there for everybody else. It all started when we took a trip to Hawaii before the season started.”