High School Baseball: Laguna Beach ties county record for consecutive league wins

COSTA MESA — It was one for the record books Friday for the Laguna Beach High baseball team.

The Breakers went to Estancia for an important game, not only when it comes to the Orange Coast League race, but to the Orange County prep baseball record book, as well. They beat the Eagles to stay in front for the first matter of business, and moved into a tie for first all-time when it came to the second.

Laguna defeated Estancia, 6-3, to run its league-leading record to 11-0, dropping the Eagles to 3-8 in the process. The triumph is more notable in that it gave the program its 45th consecutive victory in league play. That ties the county record for consecutive league wins which had twice been held by La Quinta. The Aztecs had set the record first from 2001-05, then from 2005-08.

The Breakers, ranked seventh in CIF Southern Section Division 4, improved to 16-6 overall. They’ve won six straight and eight of their last nine games.

There was no celebration when the final out was recorded; rather, the Breakers shared some high-fives before trotting into shallow right field for their post-game talk with Head Coach Mike Bair and the Laguna coaching staff.

“It’s nice to tie the county record but the most important thing for us, was getting the win today,” Bair said. “Estancia played really well and it’s always tough to win here. I thought our guys were steady throughout.”

Laguna never trailed but Estancia (6-14) hung with the Breakers through the first four innings. The Eagles trailed only 2-1 heading into the fifth.

“I thought we competed well, and it was a much better performance than Tuesday where we sort of rolled over,” Estancia Coach Nate Goellrich said, referring to the Eagles’ 14-1 loss at Laguna Tuesday. “The kids really were ready to play. I felt that we were one hit, or one catch, away today.”

Laguna has made it a habit of jumping on opponents early, and the Breakers did so again against the Eagles by scoring twice in the top of the first. Lead-off hitter Anthony Norelli started the game with a single and Zak Kovacic followed with a bunt single. Alex Baker then delivered an RBI single, and Dante Faicchio brought in the second run on a sacrifice fly.

Estancia retaliated by scoring a run in its first at-bat. Lead-off hitter Jake Brown took an 0-2 pitch for a single to center field and later scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Connor Brown.

Over the next three innings, Estancia starter Nick Torres shut down Laguna, and the Breakers’ Ashton Goddard tamed the Eagles.

It was the top of the fifth that did in Estancia as a two-out rally by Laguna took the wind out of the Eagles.

The Breakers had runners at the corners with two out in the inning when freshman Jeff Bruyntjens shot a 1-0 pitch toward the right-side of the field, The liner just went past the tip of the glove of Estancia second baseman Brian Rodriguez and into right field, and it brought in two runs.

Laguna catcher Cole Coscino followed Bruyntjens and sent a fly ball toward center field. The ball dropped just in front of the glove of a charging Dylan Laurent who dived in an attempt to make the catch. Two more runs scored and suddenly, the Breakers’ lead had grown to 6-1.

Tyler Ross, who came on in relief of Torres at the outset of the sixth and finished the game, didn’t allow Laguna another run.

“That hit by Jeff [Bruyntjens] was huge,” Bair said. “It gave us some breathing room, and we needed that.”

Despite falling in a five-run hole, Estancia didn’t fold. The Eagles got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth where they made the game interesting. They loaded the bases with one out when Aaron Boaitey lined a 1-2 pitch into left field to drive in two runs. The Eagles still had runners at second and third with two out, but Goddard got out of the jam with a strikeout and groundout.

In the bottom of the seventh, Goddard (6-2) struck out the first two batters he faced, gave up a walk, then got Jake Brown (two hits) to fly out to left field to end the game and put Laguna into the county record book.

“Ashton [Goddard] was outstanding,” Bair said. “He made quality pitches when he need to.”

The Breakers took the league series from Estancia, 3-0. The Breakers also defeated the Eagles, 4-0, March 27.

Laguna will attempt to set the new county standard for consecutive league victories on Tuesday when it travels to face Calvary Chapel at Vanguard University. The irony of the game hasn’t been lost on Bair: Laguna’s last league defeat came on the road April 27, 2012, a 2-1 setback to Calvary Chapel.

“When you think of it, it’s storybook, really,” Bair said of his team’s chance to set the record against a team that had handed his program its last league loss in his first year as head coach.

“Our goal is to go out there Tuesday and try to get another league win, to distance ourselves from the other league teams,” he continued. “That’s what we’ll be shooting for.”