Breakers find zone, blank Eagles

Pitching has been problematic at times for Laguna Beach High throughout the early stages of the 2007 baseball season but on Tuesday that wasn’t the case for the Breakers.

Senior right-hander Nathan Pickett threw a terrific game and Laguna led all the way in its Orange Coast League game at Estancia in defeating the Eagles, 3-0.

Pickett tossed a four-hit shutout, striking out seven along the way, to lift his record to 2-4.

It was Laguna’s second win in as many league meetings this year with Estancia.

“It’s what we needed,” Laguna Coach Dave Dopf said of Pickett’s performance that put the Breakers at 2-3 in league play and evened their overall record at 6-6.

“We have a great pitching staff but we’ve been giving up way too many walks and hit batters and that has been killing us. Nathan had a very stellar performance,” Dopf said.

Laguna scored single runs in each of the first three innings, getting its first run on a run-scoring double by Dalton Sype.

Pickett also backed his cause with an RBI single in the second inning.

Trevor Pierce led the offense going three for four with a double and two runs scored and Rob Cortright went two for three with a double.

In previous league action, Laguna lost at home to Costa Mesa, 12-4.

The Mustangs scored twice in their first at-bat but Laguna scored four runs in the fourth to open up a 4-2 lead.

Back-to-back home runs by Bill Sanders and Sype highlighted the inning.

Costa Mesa, however, drew even when John Rybarczyk hit a two-run home run in the fifth, then pieced together several hits in the sixth and seventh innings to pull away.

Cortright topped Laguna in hitting with a three-for-three game that included a pair of doubles and RBI.

The Breakers will be out to notch their third league win today when they play Calvary Chapel at 3:15 p.m. at Vanguard University.

Laguna fell to the Eagles, 7-5, in their first league meeting on March 27.

In an eight-day period that began Tuesday, Dopf said the Breakers will play eight games.

Following today’s game against Calvary Chapel, Laguna opens play Saturday at the Anaheim Lions Tournament. The Breakers play Diamond Bar at 1:30 p.m. at Boysen Park.

They continue tournament play with two games on Monday, beginning at 10:30 a.m. with a game against Magnolia at Amerige Park in Fullerton, followed by a 3 p.m. clash with Paso Robles at Fullerton College.

On Tuesday, Laguna takes on Western at 8:15 p.m. at Brookhurst Park in Fullerton.

The tournament concludes Wednesday.

In softball:

Although its record might not reflect its effort, Laguna has played teams tough in the first month of the season.

The Breakers are just 2-9 but with the exception of two games, have been on the brink of victory in seven of their losses.

“This probably the best nine players the school has had out on the field,” first-year coach Mark Linton said. “The scores and standings are not reflective of what this team has done. They are good and they are having fun playing the game.”

Laguna was scheduled to play Costa Mesa today in the Orange Coast League opener for both teams, but the game was switched to Thursday so as not to conflict with Good Friday.

Linton feels that his Breakers can make a big move in league play, which they continue on Wed., April 18, when they host Estancia.

“We have the talent to contend in league,” he said. “These girls won’t give up anything, either. If we lose, the other team has to beat us. Our girls won’t give into another team and they don’t make any errors. Teams will have to earn a win against us.”