Breakers’ Bats Alive for 12th Win
Baseball (16-2, 6-0)
Laguna 7, Estancia 3
Breakers won their 12th game in-a-row (two shy of the school record) with a victory over the Eagles this past Tuesday, April 9, at Skipper Carrillo Field. Laguna’s pitching was not as sharp as it has been but the bats were alive with Steven Harrison’s two-run blast in the second inning and Larry Stewart’s towering two-run homer in the fourth inning the highlights. Kurt Rabone went six innings for the win, striking out three but giving up a run and five hits. Cole Millard closed out the game. The 16 team wins so far this season is the third best single season win total in 75 seasons. Only 27 in 2011 and 18 last year exceed this total. Breakers have at least nine games remaining this season plus CIF.
Last week: – Laguna 3, San Juan Hills 2
Laguna completed the 39th Annual Anaheim Lions Tournament with a victory Wednesday, April 3, at Brookhurst Field in Anaheim as Jackson Ress won his sixth of the season scattering seven hits and striking out five.
The pitcher arrived late to the stadium providing a little pre-game anxiety to the winning squad but he arrived cool and calm ready to tackle the Stallions. The victory marked Laguna’s best showing ever in the spring break tournament with a perfect 5-0 mark.
Breakers took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning off an Adam Rodner sacrifice fly scoring Blake Hester. Laguna extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Steven Harrison blasted a two-run double, scoring Grant Wilhelm and Robbie McInerny. San Juan picked up runs in the fourth and sixth inning, but Laguna was able to snuff game-breaking rally attempts as Breakers made great plays in the infield to secure the win over a well-coached Stallion team (10-8).
Statistical Leaders through April 9 (18 games)
Batting Average: .429 Steven Harrison, .371 Blake Hester, .370 Richie Nunis, .357 Robbie McInerny
Hits: 20 Preston Grand Pre
Runs Scored: 15 Preston Grand Pre
RBI’s : 15 Richie Nunis
Doubles : 6 Grant Wilhelm
Triples 1 Jackson Rees, Richie Nunis, Robbie McInerny
Home Runs: 3 Steven Harrison
Slugging % .771 Steven Harrison
Stolen Bases 8 Robbie McInerny, 7 – Preston Grand Pre
Pitching Wins: 6 Jackson Rees, Kurt Rebone
ERA: 0.80 Jackson Rees
Team ERA 1.34
Team Batting Average: .321
SSCIF Division 4 Poll for 4/8
1 – Oaks Christian, 2 – Nogales, 3 – Kaiser, 4 – Northview, 5 – Laguna Beach, 6 – Monrovia, 7 – Sonora, 8 – Don Lugo, 9 – San Dimas, 10 – Montclair. Others: No Torrance, El Rancho, Ramona.
Boys Tennis (5-9, 5-1)
A shorthanded Breaker squad dropped their first league match since April 23, 2007 with 10-8 loss to Estancia this past Tuesday on the local courts. Laguna had defeated the Eagles 11-7 back on March 14. Barring any further upsets, the team should be seeded as the league champion in the team tennis playoffs next month.
Boys Volleyball (11-6, 4-0)
Breakers got back into the league race this past Tuesday sweeping Godinez (8-9, 2-2) 25-15, 25-15, 26-24 at Dugger Gym. Breakers scrambled their lineup for the final set and nearly had their 98 consecutive league set win streak snapped. Breakers have only dropped eight sets in league history and it took some sharp serving by Noah Blanton and kills by Jake Hexberg to preserve the streak. Laguna has now won 42 straight league matches, still short of the school record 52 set between 1990-95.
Last week in Hawaii, Laguna finished fifth in the Kamehameha Cup, a tournament played on April 4-6 at the Honolulu prep school. Huntington Beach won the tournament. Breakers opened pool play and defeated Maryknoll 25-20, 25-19, but lost to Waiakea of Hilo 25-17, 26-24. On Friday, Laguna beat a very good Hawaii Baptist team, but then lost to host Kamehameha 25-17, 25-20. On Saturday in the loser’s bracket, Laguna lost to Highland/Gilbert, of Arizona, 28-26, 27-25. Breakers competed in the tournament without Noah Blanton, the team’s top blocker, and Alec Wulff, a solid kill threat.
Next Friday, April 19 at 5:45 p.m., the Breakers will host the county’s third-ranked team, Dana Hills, in a non-league match at Dugger Gym. The JV contest will begin at 4:30 followed by the varsity. Both will be top-level play. The Dolphins are currently ranked sixth in Division 1 while the Breakers are fifth in the county and third in SSCIF Division 2.
Other Spring Sports were off last week and resume action this past week.
Photos by Robert Campbell
