High School Baseball: Laguna maintains perfection in Orange Coast League
It was an exhilarating, eight-day thrill ride for the Laguna Beach High baseball team, one that took the Breakers to a history-making win and back from the brink of defeat in two games last week, and racing to yet another victory Tuesday.
With the Orange Coast League championship already in its possession, Laguna inched closer to another perfect league campaign Tuesday by pulling away from host Godinez, 9-5. The win put the Breakers at 14-0 in league and 19-6 overall. They were to close out their league season and series with Godinez (8-6 league, third place) Thursday but the game was canceled due to rain.
In Tuesday’s win, Laguna, ranked seventh in CIF Southern Section Division 4, broke away from a 2-2 tie by scoring once in the top of the fifth and three times in the sixth, and took a 6-3 lead into the seventh.
The Breakers were able to stretch their OCL win streak to 48 games, continuing their Orange County record for consecutive league victories.
“It was a close game, but we were able to break it open late with quality at-bats,” Laguna Coach Mike Bair said. “I was expecting a Godinez to compete well. They are a playoff-bound team. They had beat Calvary [Chapel], beat Estancia, and beat some other good teams. We were able to wear them out down the stretch.”
Senior right-hand pitcher Cole Coscino struck out four and gave up two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, and went two for four with an RBI and two runs scored on offense for Laguna. He was one of four Breakers with two or more hits with sophomore Dante Faicchio leading the Breakers’ 12-hit attack with three hits including a double. Junior Zak Kovacic, who relieved Coscino and pitched 2 1/3 innings, doubled twice. Freshman Jeff Bruyntjens (double) also had two hits.
Kovacic had a team-high four RBIs and Faicchio and senior Jake Smith (double) both had two RBIs. Junior left-hander John Ogden finished on the mound for the Breakers.
Laguna had established the county record for consecutive league victories (46) May 5 when it defeated Calvary Chapel, 8-5. The teams met again last Friday at Laguna and late into that May 8 contest that went extra innings, that streak hung by a thread.
In the top of the ninth, Calvary Chapel went ahead, 6-4, on a two-run home run. The Eagles were two outs away from ending that streak when the Breakers pieced together two walks, a single, double and two more singles, to end any celebratory thoughts for the visitors. Bruyntjens delivered a one-out RBI single to draw Laguna within 6-5. Smith nearly homered but his critical double brought in the tying run, and then junior Jack Simon singled home the game-winning run.
Instead, it was the Breakers who put on the celebration, dog-piling on top of each other along after rushing toward the first-base side of the field after Simon safely reached base.
The comeback victory gave Laguna a 3-0 league sweep of Calvary Chapel, the last program to defeat a Breakers team in league play (2012).
Kovacic, who pitched the eighth and ninth innings, emerged with the pitching win.
“It was pretty intense,” Bair said. “I wasn’t really thinking about the streak. I was just thinking about the moment, wanted to see how our kids would respond, and winning that moment. It was a great win. Amazing.”
The CIF-SS baseball playoff pairings will be revealed next Monday. Division 4 wild-card games are Wednesday. Laguna will play a first-round game May 22.
The Division 4 championship game is June 6 at San Manuel Stadium in San Bernardino.
Laguna reached the Division 4 semifinal round last spring.
“I feel really confident about our team heading into CIF,” Bair said. “Our team morale, our confidence, are firing great. We are hitting well and playing good baseball right now. I’m a little concerned about not having (catcher) Will McInerny (thumb injury) for the start of the playoffs. This next week is about us getting healthy and ready for our opener.”
Laguna was to celebrate Senior Day Thursday when it took on Godinez. The Breakers’ line-up contains four senior players: Coscino, Smith, Callan Cochran, Anthony Norelli (scheduled to start on the mound Thursday).
Not only has Cochran experienced the thrill of being part of a record-setting baseball team, he also pulled double-duty last week by competing at the Orange Coast League Track and Field prelims and finals meets. Not only did Cochran win the boys’ varsity 100 meter dash at prelims (11.68 seconds), he also became league champion in the event when he ran an 11.54 at league finals May 7.
“I’m supportive of him doing both sports,” Bair said. “I think it’s great and I’m happy that he’s winning.”
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CIF Weekly Rankings
(released Monday)
Laguna Beach (No. 7, Division 4).