Breakers shock Newbury Park, advance to quarters

Few high school baseball pitchers can say that they were on the mound when their team won a CIF Southern Section title, but Laguna Beach High senior Ashton Goddard is on that list.

Goddard accomplished the feat last year as a junior, throwing a complete-game shutout as the Breakers blanked Fontana Kaiser for the Division 4 title.

His senior season has been nearly nonexistent. Goddard has battled a shoulder injury this season, and he came into Friday’s action having thrown just 12 innings.

“He had some tightness in his shoulder, and I’m not going to ruin a guy’s career for tightness in his shoulder,” Laguna coach Jeff Sears said. “Once he told me he was OK, I caught a [bullpen session] for him, and he was good to go.”

Goddard appeared in relief of a stellar outing by Breakers starter Blake Burzell on Friday, as Laguna was hosting Newbury Park in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. A bad showing could have ended the Breakers’ season. And, in his first game action since April 25, Goddard hit the first batter he faced in the top of the fifth inning.

“It’s the best part of the season,” Goddard said after the game. “Words can’t describe it. I came in a little too hyped, that’s probably why I hit the first batter. But once you settle in, it’s just really fun. I was just laughing the whole time.”

If he wasn’t dominant, he was effective, hurling three shutout innings. And plenty of teammates also stepped up as Laguna Beach earned a 3-1 upset win over No. 4-seeded Newbury Park at the Breakers’ home field, advancing to the quarterfinals.

The Breakers, who have now won 13 straight games, won the pre-coin flip and will be home again on Friday against the winner of Wednesday’s game between Etiwanda and Village Christian.

Burzell improved to 7-0 this season for the Breakers (22-8). He mostly shut down the bats of the Panthers (21-10), the Marmonte League champion which came in ranked No. 13 in the state of California by Maxpreps.com. Burzell allowed an unearned run and four hits in his four innings of work, striking out two and walking one.

Both of Laguna Beach’s first two runs against Newbury Park starting pitcher Jake Miller, a University of San Diego commit, also were unearned. The Breakers’ first batter of the game, senior Dante Faicchio, reached base when the Newbury Park third baseman lost a high popup in the sun. Two outs later, Faicchio scored on sophomore Kolton Freeman’s single to center.

After Newbury Park tied the game in the top of the third, the Breakers took the lead again in the bottom half. Again it was Faicchio reaching on an error, this time with one out after a throw to first pulled the first baseman off the bag. After a sacrifice bunt by Will Bonn, Dustin Angus smacked a double to center to bring home Faicchio.

Laguna added its third and final run in the bottom of the sixth. Connor Coscino singled with one out, and Aidan Booth followed with a walk, ending the day of Miller. Newbury Park reliever Tyler Kennedy induced a strikeout for the second out, but Faicchio hit a single off the wall in left to plate Coscino.

The aluminum bat broke on Faicchio’s hit, and he was left holding the handle in his hand.

“I was pretty sure I barreled it,” Faicchio said. “I’ve had that bat for a while. That was weird. I’ve never done that before.”

What Goddard has done before is close out a playoff game. He did it in the top of the seventh, even after issuing a two-out walk then hitting his third Panthers player of the game. Goddard rebounded, striking out Shay Whitcomb on a curveball in the dirt to end it.

The Breakers also were very solid defensively. Freeman and Bonn provided back-to-back web gems in the top of the sixth, with Freeman diving to catch a sinking ball in shallow right field before Bonn ran back in left to catch a ball over his head.

Cutter Clawson had a double for Laguna Beach, Grady Morgan reached on a walk and Jack Loechner had a pinch-hit single. Every spot in the batting order reached base at least once.

“We’re a pretty well-rounded team,” Goddard said. “If our pitching is lacking, our bats are going to get us, or our defense has us. Honestly, we’re not viewing these games as upsets, because we know we can win these. We’re just viewing it as good competition. We’re going up against good teams, not better teams than us.”

Some may have thought the Breakers might exit the postseason quickly after moving up two divisions and losing their head coach Mike Bair, who left to be an assistant coach at Foothill. But that has not been the case.

Sears, who returned to the team he last coached in 2011, had other ideas. The Breakers are three wins away from back-to-back CIF championships.

“We’re just having fun,” Sears said. “We’re playing with house money. No one expected us to make it this far, coming from Division 4. No respect. We’ve got that little chip on our shoulder.”

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CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs

Second round

Laguna Beach 3, Newbury Park 1

Newbury Park 001 000 0 – 1 5 2

Laguna Beach 101 001 x – 3 6 1

Miller, Kennedy (6) and Co. Falsken; Burzell, Goddard (5) and Booth. W – Burzell, 7-0. L – Miller, 7-1. Sv — Goddard, 2. 2B – Angus (LB), Clawson (LB).

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Twitter: @mjszabo