FULLERTON — The Laguna Beach High baseball team has been used to battling from behind in its memorable postseason run.
On Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton, though, the tables were flipped.
The first time the Breakers trailed in the game was the same time that it ended.
Glendora’s Santiago Garza singled home John Seader in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Laguna Beach was dealt a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship game.
Laguna Beach starting pitcher Aaron Crosby competes against Glendora in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship game Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton.
(James Carbone)
The Tartans, last year’s Division 3 champions, found a way to repeat and deny the Breakers their second section title.
“Everyone did their role today, we just couldn’t get enough hits to win,” Laguna Beach coach Ryan Belanto said. “That’s how baseball works sometimes.”
The season will continue for the Breakers (20-12), who were selected for this week’s CIF SoCal Regional playoffs. Laguna Beach is seeded No. 5 in Division III, and will travel to No. 4-seeded La Mesa Helix on Tuesday for a first round game.
Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor also made the regional playoffs. In Division I, the No. 7-seeded Oilers will travel to No. 2 San Diego Patrick Henry for a first round game Tuesday. In Division II, the No. 2-seeded Sailors host No. 7 San Diego Madison.
Laguna Beach’s Lincoln Adams (11) celebrates with his team after scoring against Glendora on Saturday night.
(James Carbone)
Regional semifinal games will be played Thursday, with regional title games in each division scheduled for Saturday.
The Breakers took the lead Saturday night in the top of the first inning, when Dylan Yencho singled home Lincoln Adams. Glendora (20-11) responded in the bottom of the frame with an unearned run, as leadoff hitter Riley Cooper led off with a double to right and eventually scored on a fielder’s choice.
That unearned run was all that Laguna Beach starting pitcher Aaron Crosby would give up in three innings. As the game went to the fourth inning, the Breakers went to ace Branson Wade, who had four innings of eligibility remaining after pitching six in the team’s semifinal win on Tuesday.
Laguna Beach’s Dylan Yencho (12) hits a run-scoring double against Glendora on Saturday night.
(James Carbone)
Belanto hoped that Wade would be able to close out the game. It didn’t quite work out that way.
Laguna Beach did take the lead in the top of the fifth, with Yencho’s double to left-center scoring Adams. But that would be the last hit that the Breakers could muster.
“It was just good pitching on their part,” Yencho said. “That’s a good team. They had our number for the rest of the game, I guess.”
Laguna Beach’s Branson Wade (23) pitches in relief against Glendora on Saturday night.
(James Carbone)
Glendora tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth off Wade. Garza led off with a walk, and would come home on a one-one single by Jude Garcia.
Yencho came in to pitch as the game went to extra innings. The Breakers tried to mount a rally in the top of the ninth, with Crosby and Bear Ward drawing back-to-back full-count walks. But Garcia, the Glendora relief pitcher, got Laguna Beach’s Otis Boultinghouse (two for five) to fly out to shallow right field.
Yencho struck out the first two Glendora batters in the bottom of the ninth, but the Tartans rallied. Seader singled to right, advancing to second as the ball wasn’t cleanly fielded. Laguna Beach intentionally walked Tanner Grable to set up a force play, but Garza made the Breakers pay.
Laguna Beach’s Dylan Yencho (12) gets high-fives after striking out a batter in extra innings against Glendora on Saturday night.
(James Carbone)
His walk-off single to left scored Seader, with the throw home up the third-base line, ending the marathon game close to 10:30 p.m.
“Honestly, it felt surreal,” Garza said. “I would never think that this would happen in this game, how late it is and how tired I am. It feels great, that I can help put my team on my back and help this program soar into the sky.”
Belanto talked about the positives for the senior-laden Breakers, adding that it was hard to have a better season than last year’s team that went 25-4 and advanced to the second round of the Division 1 playoffs.
“We had our ups and downs, but making a playoff run and getting to the finals is just unbelievable on their part,” Belanto said. “I’ve been around those kids for the last three years, and I’m just so proud of them, so excited for them to continue their baseball careers in college next year.”
Laguna Beach baseball head coach Ryan Belanto and the Breakers accept the CIF runner-up plaque after losing against Glendora on Saturday night.
(James Carbone)
This year’s Breakers still have at least one game to play, maybe as many as three. But they also have just a couple of days to get over the sting of Saturday night, after failing to dethrone Glendora.
“I love it, they’re coming in here defending [their CIF title],” Yencho said. “We wanted to come in and take it away, but just couldn’t get it done.”