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Damian Calhoun. Sports Newsroom Assistant.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

WHITTIER – Taking care of the small things has become a way of life for the Laguna Beach baseball team.

The 12th inning of the Breakers’ CIF-SS Division 4 quarterfinal on Friday was just another example.

Alex Baker led off the inning with a walk. He was sacrificed to second by Jack Loechner. Baker then moved to third on a ground out to short by Connor Coscino.

Jack Simon followed with a ground ball to second that should have ended the inning, but the ball got by the second baseman, allowing Baker to score the run that gave the Breakers a 3-2 victory over California of Whittier at Rio Hondo College.

The Breakers (18-12) will host St. Bonaventure of Ventura in the semifinals Tuesday.

“We’ve been working on executing small baseball since September,” Laguna Beach coach Mike Bair said. “We’ve been working on that and looking for these moments when it is going to matter.”

Will McInerny earned the victory in relief, going 51/3 innings after entering in the seventh. McInerny struck out Gilly Rodriguez to end the game.

McInerny and California’s Josh Lambert locked up in a pitchers’ duel in relief, both pitching around runners in scoring position as the game extended into extra innings.

Lambert entered the game with two outs in the fifth. He was replaced by Jakob Farmer after allowing the lead-off walk to Baker to start the 12th.

California (20-10) scored the first two runs in the first inning against Laguna Beach starter Blake Burzell.

The Breakers tied the score, 2-2, in the fourth inning by scoring a run on a sacrifice fly by McInerny and a perfect squeeze bunt by Zak Kovacic that scored Dustin Angus.

In the 10th, the Breakers loaded the bases, but Lambert escaped a strikeout to end the inning.

“We’ve played a tough schedule this year,” Bair said, “and we lost a lot of games. I think we learned how to bleed a little bit, and that’s helped us in these moments to stay strong, energetic and confident, and we’re seeing good results.”

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com