Run

The Laguna Beach High baseball team has out-hit and out-pitched its first two opponents at the Babe Herman Tournament in Glendale, but that won't be reflected in the win column. Laguna fell Monday to Torrance, 3-1. In their tournament opener Saturday, the Breakers dropped a 4-1 decision to Crescenta Valley. Against Torrance, Kevin Kelly pitched a complete game and gave up just four hits. Torrance scored two unearned runs in the first inning and a run in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead.

Superior Court Judge Gary Paer, a Laguna Beach resident, doesn't just run criminal trials. He also is an avid marathon runner, who completed the New York Marathon in November, and will compete in the Boston Marathon on April 18. Paer's run in Boston will help raise money for the American Liver Foundation, a cause he believes in because his aunt died at age 38 from complications of hepatitis. Paer is a member of the Run for Research team, joining more than 200 runners across the country to raise money for the foundation.

Stanley Kimball Jr. took up running marathons in his 40s. A huge challenge, but one he was up to. After all, you can do pretty much anything after the marathon-like task of raising seven boys. Following their parents’ example, the boys are now married with families of their own. The comparisons don’t end there, though. The Kimball brothers will be literally following in their father’s footsteps as all seven assemble in Utah Saturday for the 26.22-mile St. George Marathon.

Courtesy Auto Body pounded out three home runs last weekend and used the long ball to record a 5-1 victory over Sandpiper at Riddle Field in Men's Fall League 16 softball play, sponsored by the city of Laguna Beach. The win was the fifth consecutive to open the season for Courtesy Auto Body. Steve McKinley hit one of the home runs for Courtesy Auto Body. Ryan Neptune's solo home run accounted for the lone run by Sandpiper. In other games: Hobies 9, Courtesy Auto Body 6 Mark Christy hit a two-run home run in the third inning and added a single and walk as Hobies knocked off previously undefeated Courtesy Auto Body.

Defending Wednesday League champion Mesa Verde Partners made it four wins in a row by routing Hobies, 10-3, in city of Laguna Beach Men's Summer 16 Softball Program action. Steve McKinley nailed a fourth inning grand slam to highlight the victory. Later in the sixth inning, he smacked a solo home run. Ryan Neptune and Dave Sommerville each added a home run and single to the offense. Mesa Verde Partners, now 5-1, trails Sports World by one-half game in the league standings.

Five of the six higher seeded teams competing in the city of Laguna Beach Men's Summer 16 Slow Pitch Softball leagues playoffs have advanced to the winner's bracket following the opening round of double-elimination action at Riddle Field. Defending Wednesday League champion Mesa Verde Partners easily advanced to the second round by shutting down the No. 4 seeded Sofa Kings, 15-0. Ranie Martini hurled a one-hitter for Mesa Verde. The only hit he yielded was a third inning single to Jason Kenworthy.

VFW rode a five-run fifth inning to victory at Riddle Field as it went on to record a 5-3 win in Laguna Beach Little League Majors Division postseason tournament action. With loaded bases and one out, Cooper Gwaltney drove in one run and another scored on an overthrow. Logan Schoembs followed with a perfectly executed bunt single before Casey Miller's ground out scored the third run of the inning. Will Armstrong ended the scoring spree when his double up the gap in right-center field scored two runs.

Sandpiper moved into a third-place tie in the City of Laguna Beach Men's Fall 16 Slow Pitch Softball League standings by virtue of a 6-3 victory over Team Viagra at Riddle Field. Team Viagra had taken the lead in the top of the third inning, thanks to a three-run home run by Cam Hammil. Sandpiper, however, came back in the bottom of the frame to tie the score. Mickey Allen delivered a two-run homer to narrow the gap to 3-2, and Dave Sommerville followed with a solo homer to knot the game.

The 2005 season came to an end for the Laguna Beach High School baseball team in a 3-2 loss at University in Pacific Coast League play. The host Trojans scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete a comeback from two runs down. Laguna had opened up a 2-0 lead in its first at-bat, thanks to a two-run home run by Ryan Landry. But the Breakers could not muster any more runs, despite finishing the game with eight hits off two Trojans pitchers.

Sandpiper downed Ganahl Lumber and Team Viagra got past Used Cars to advance to a winner's bracket final in Tuesday League postseason playoff action in the city of Laguna Beach Community Services Dept. Summer 16 Slow Pitch Softball League. All games were played at Riddle Field. Tuesday League Sandpiper 7, Ganahl Lumber 2 Mickey Allen had four RBIs and Jeff Heminghaus knocked in a pair of runs as regular season champion Sandpiper knocked Ganahl Lubmer into loser's bracket play.

Laguna Beach VFW ended its regular season with a bang, then two more, Saturday in defeating Newport Beach 90 Meters in Little League Majors Division action. VFW hit three home runs and scored a 9-4 victory. Grady Morgan and Christian Holm both homered in the first inning and VFW took a quick 5-0 lead and never looked back. Morgan's home run was his fifth of the season which led the Majors Division. Cutter Clawson hit a laser over the fence in the fifth inning to complete the scoring.

Zero Trash might not have picked up a victory in its AAA Division game against Crescent Bay Advisors, but it did record the first home run of the 2013 season at Laguna Beach Little League. In a game that was delayed by rain, Crescent Bay Advisors completed a 9-3 victory on Saturday over Zero Trash. Connor Fink of Zero Trash hit the first home run of the season, a two-run homer in the third inning at Riddle Field. Teammate Jack Payne struck out four in two innings of pitching. Later in the game, the second home run was recorded when Jeremy Hayes of Crescent Bay Advisors smashed a three-run homer.

Now, Bret Fleming will call his Laguna Beach High boys' basketball team league champions. The longtime Laguna head coach watched his players snip away at the netting on one of the hoops at Dugger Gym Thursday night, moments after the Breakers had turned senior night into a big night for the program. A smile of contentment crossed Fleming's face as the last of the nylon netting was sliced away. Laguna sewed up an undefeated run through Orange Coast League play and in the process, won their seventh consecutive championship after running away from visiting Costa Mesa, 62-33.

A Laguna Beach art gallery owner has closed her doors to take care of her ailing mother, but she will still assist clients remotely. Swenson Fine Art owner Laurie Swenson recently shuttered her storefront gallery, 460 S. Coast Hwy., after four years and will move back to her hometown of Austin, Texas, after nearly two decades in Laguna Beach. Swenson called the change bittersweet in an email, but said the rewards will outweigh the challenges. "I wanted to let you all know that my trajectory has changed for now, due to a downturn in my mom's health," she said in a letter to the Coastline Pilot.

An early call Wednesday turned out to reap several rewards for the Laguna Beach High girls' water polo team. On a day that began at 5:45 a.m. with a not-so-normal practice session, the Breakers still had plenty of energy nine hours later, when they traveled to face Costa Mesa. Despite a somewhat slow start to the Orange Coast League opener for both teams, the Breakers shifted gears and went on several scoring runs that led to an eventual, 22-7 victory. Laguna has not lost an OCL game since the league formed for athletic competition for the 2006-07 school year.

Another game, another rout. The Laguna Beach High football team took its first step in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division playoffs on Nov. 9 and scored a resounding, 42-14 victory over Loara of Anaheim. The win puts the No. 2-seeded Breakers, champions of the Orange Coast League, into a quarterfinal round game Friday against Northwood of Irvine. Northwood, 5-6 overall and the No. 2 team from the Pacific Coast League, finished second to top-seeded Corona del Mar and advanced by taking down Rancho Alamitos, 41-14, last Friday.

The 2012 Orange Coast League championship in boys' water polo was decided in a showdown Wednesday in Costa Mesa. After four quarters, the reigning champ continued its hold on the title. Laguna Beach turned in another undefeated run through OCL play after defeating host Costa Mesa, 22-5. Both teams entered the league finale with 4-0 records. A tight first quarter saw Laguna - 14-7 and ranked third in CIF Southern Section Division 2 - take a 4-2 lead. From there, it was all Breakers.

"The 39 Steps" proves that ingenuity, a good foreign accent and exaggerated body language can enthrall an audience so much that they forget only four people are playing the tens of characters. The play runs through Oct. 21 at the Laguna Playhouse. Based on Alfred Hitchcock 's 1935 film, which set the stage for the film noir genre, the play blends Hitchcock's spy thriller plot with the comedic elements that come with a tiny cast and simple set elements, like suitcases and a leather chair.

A week-long trip to Mammoth has become an annual bonding ritual for the Laguna Beach High girls' cross-country team. The 2012 Breakers recently returned from the getaway, which included high-altitude training, and are preparing for their upcoming season, one that includes several outstanding competitions. Laguna hopes the season culminates in late-November with another trip to the CIF State Meet at Woodward Park in Fresno. Woodward Park is familiar ground to the girls' program, which last year earned a sixth-place Division IV State finish.

The Laguna Beach Little League Major Division All-Star team had its run in the District 55 Tournament halted July 6 when it dropped a wild 15-14 game to Laguna Niguel at Chapparosa Park in Laguna Niguel. Laguna Beach finished the tournament with a 2-2 record. The a game was much different from when they first met at the tournament's opener June 30, a 10-0 win by Laguna Niguel. In the rematch, Laguna Niguel jumped on Laguna Beach early and it appeared another blowout was imminent.