The Trump Show: Are we really going to do this again?

• April 1, 2023

“Trump transforms primary,” read a push notification on my phone recently.

“Trump’s new rage,” read another.

I had the same reaction to both: Are we really doing this again?

Really?

With or without the indictment that came this week, how is everyone not sick of this?

The first of the two Axios articles reports that Trump is currently outpolling other Republican presidential hopefuls nationally in a new Monmouth poll.

Other candidates are underperforming at the moment, but it’s early and Trump has consistently benefitted from a wide field and support from the 40% of Republicans who just love him — the Forever Trumpers.

While it’s thankfully not a majority who support him, there’s still far too many who are not exhausted and bored by the Trump Show.

For someone who claims not to be a politician, Trump can’t seem to move on.

The second Axios article played one of Trump’s greatest hits: abandoning a short-lived, disciplined approach to campaigning for his usual campaign-by-grievance tactics.

This time he’s apparently lashing out at everyone over a potential indictment and playing footsies with violence.

“Our country is being destroyed, as they tell us to be peaceful!” Trump tweeted (or whatever you call posting on his Truth Social platform).

Subtle!

Considering he already caused one angry mob to try to overthrow the government, he just doesn’t have a lot of credibility when he claims these comments aren’t meant to incite violence.

Of course, I can’t seem to find any attempt to walk back his comments. Fortunately, his attempts to bring on protests have so far been a bust.

I’ve been called a Never Trumper, but it’s really an inappropriate term because it implies that I’m a single-issue voter, which I’m not.

Sure, I have never and will never vote for Trump, but that’s because he fails on a range of issues important to me.

As a conservative, there’s very little to like. Trump tears down American institutions, he has zero respect for veterans who disagree with his worldview (which means he has zero respect for veterans), the people he surrounds himself with are often absurd, he’s anti-free trade, he sucks up to dictators, he refuses to meaningfully address the federal budget and he’s a blowhard.

As a Christian, the lies, the immaturity, the name-calling, the lack of character, the lack of respect for Christians (holding up a Bible he’s clearly never read while park police were tear-gassing Americans is disqualifying enough) and the lack of humility all make him impossible to support.

As a Republican, he has not only wasted eight, and possibly 12, years of my presidential choices, but he also degraded the party and inspired some of the worst candidates in recent memory, leading to blown chances for a Republican-controlled Senate in both 2020 and 2022.

He almost single-handedly turned Georgia blue and lost a seemingly-unloseable Senate seat in Alabama by backing a candidate accused of dating minors when he was in his 30s.

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What advantage does he provide Republicans? We often hear he’s the only Republican who can win the presidency, but he already lost.

Being without him for a while, I had forgotten how deeply hostile and annoying he can be. But then I browsed his Truth Social account and was immediately reminded of the endless stream of mindless tweets (or whatever).

Lots of talk about Florida Gov. Ron “Desanctimonious” DeSantis, “Horseface” Stormy Daniels and the New York district attorney.

These insults are so lame. If you heard a standup comedian with those jokes, you’d walk out. If you heard a CEO say them, you’d walk out and there’d be a lawsuit. Shouldn’t the standard be higher for the president?

The first season of the Trump Show was bad; a second will only be worse.

Can we please change the channel now?

Follow Matt on Twitter @FlemingWords

​ Orange County Register 

California policymakers are trying to chip away at open government for their own convenience

• April 1, 2023

California’s open meetings laws, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act of 1967 and the Ralph M. Brown Act of 1953, inscribed into state law these words: “The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”

The laws require the meetings of state and local government entities including public commissions, boards, councils and other agencies to be in-person, open to the public, and announced in advance. Remote participation is allowed at meetings only if the “teleconference” location is open to the public and an advance notice and agenda are posted there.

In March 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-29-20, which waived the in-person requirements “only during the period in which state or local public health officials have imposed or recommended social distancing measures.” A law signed last year, Assembly Bill 2449, allowed remote meetings under more circumstances, but only until 2026.

Now that the COVID emergency has ended in California, a number of bills have been introduced to permanently change the open meetings laws so that remote meetings may continue forever without an emergency.

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For example, Sen. Anthony Portantino has authored Senate Bill 411 to eliminate the in-person meetings requirement from local agencies and regional boards and commissions, where members must often travel long distances, as well as from neighborhood council meetings where the distances are not far at all.

A blog post on the website of the California Council of Governments, which has 47 member agencies including the massive Southern California Association of Governments, said it’s time-consuming for local elected officials to travel to regional council meetings.

We think it’s important for government officials to show up in person to face the people they govern, rather than drop in remotely and click away again. If they are required to attend so many meetings of so many councils and boards that they simply can’t get to them all, perhaps we should consider whether we just have too much government.

​ Orange County Register 

King, the emaciated sea lion rescued in Redondo Beach, back in the ocean

• April 1, 2023

The air was brisk, the sun shining and the waves were breaking on the sand — as King, the wayward sea lion, returned to the ocean.

The young sea lion, which had spent the past two months on the mend at San Pedro’s Marine Mammal Care Center, briskly flopped his way to the Cabrillo Beach waterline on Friday, March 31, as a couple of dozen onlookers bid him a cheerful send-off.

“Go King!” shouted one spectator watching the sea lion, who in January had wandered, malnourished, into Redondo Beach’s King Harbor Yacht Club, where he was found curled up next to the stove in the warm kitchen.

King, who is named after the yacht club, wasted no time bounding out of his rehabilitation crate on the beach and into the cold Pacific waters that were home. With another recovered sea lion companion — King ws among four total that were released Friday — he bobbed through the waves and into the ocean until he disappeared from view.

“Oh, they’re so happy,” one onlooker said, watching the sea lions dip in and out through the waves on their journey home.

Among the well-wishers on the beach was Pat Light, volunteer membership chair at the King Harbor Yacht Club in Redondo Beach, who was there the night the sea lion was discovered in the kitchen.

“It’s just so exciting to see,” she said of the release early Friday morning.

Light was joined by several others from the yacht club who assisted in King’s rescue. They received a special invitation to be there from the Marine Mammal Care Center, where King has been recovering all this time.

“He looks great,” said Light, who recalled how skinny and lethargic the pup was just a few months ago.

For John Warner, the CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center that nursed King back to health, it was “a joyful day, to be sure.”

It was after the dinner hour, around 9 p.m., on Jan. 26, when King was found. The skinny pup had somehow crawled up onto a dock, then up a ramp and around a back patio to slip inside the warm kitchen at the King Harbor Yacht Club.

Estimated to be about 6 or 7 months old at the time, the pup was first spotted by Lupe Ruiz, the club’s food manager, who told Light, “We have something in the kitchen I need to show you.”

At the time, Light said in a Feb. 1 interview, “I thought, ‘Well, that’s unusual.”

And then the big question was what to do next.

Police officers initially responded to their call. But eventually, someone knew to contact the rescue group that works with the Marine Mammal Care Center, a rehab facility that takes in sick and injured sea lions and harbor seals.

The story from there was a happy one. The pup did well, said Marine Mammal Care Center veterinarian Lauren Palmer, who got the call that evening that he was being brought in.

King weighed about 31 pounds, and needed tube-feeding and hydration. But other than malnutrition, he didn’t seem to have any other health problems, Palmer said at the time.

Within a few days, the pup was eating some “pretty good-sized fish,” Palmer said.

By the time he was released on Friday, King weighed 95 pounds.

“He enjoyed his meals,” Palmer, who also was on hand for the ocean release, said on Friday. “He’s definitely a consumer.”

While the 95 pounds is a bit heavier than the goal weight, she said, the winter months, especially with all the recent cold weather and rain, required a bit extra.

“We think it gives them a better chance if they have a few extra pounds,” Palmer said.

Melanie Lundquist, who, along with her husband, Richard, is a Marine Mammal Care Center donor, also watched King and the other sea lions return home Friday.

Ultimately, she said, she’d like to see the center expand.

Currently, it’s on Los Angeles Unified School District property, within Angels Gate Park on Gaffey Street, and can hold about 120 pups, but fewer adult sea lions. Warner, who took over the San Pedro facility in January after coming from the larger Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, said he would also like to see the center add a saltwater pool to its fresh-water recovery pools.

The Marine Mammal Care Center is the only center of its kind serving the large L.A. coastal area between Malibu to the north and Seal Beach to the south.

“We really don’t have what we need,” Lundquist said of the San Pedro center. The mission, she said, “is to make sure we care for the (environmental) mess we’ve made.”

​ Orange County Register 

Here’s a checklist for commercial property owners or tenants

• April 1, 2023

Saturday was April Fool’s day, and I wish I had a pithy prank but my reservoir of humor ran dry.

However, with the dawning of spring, the crack of the baseball bat on opening day, Easter, the Masters golf tournament and the NCAA final four, spring has officially sprung, and the first quarter of 2023 is officially in the books.

Last week I wrote about the economy and its 2023 balance, so today I’ll focus on what you should have accomplished in the first quarter. Don’t despair, if you didn’t get it done, there’s still time.

Review lease agreements

Now would be a great time to put your hands on a fully executed copy of your lease and any extensions. Make sure all are signed by both parties.

You don’t want to be scrambling around during a critical date with a half-executed document. This is best done at the end of a year with a careful eye toward any upcoming expirations, options to extend, rent increases or options to purchase, etc.

But what if you occupy a building you own? Should you have a lease agreement with your operating company? Absolutely! I could write an entire column on the horrors of handshake agreements between related entities.

Taxes

Normally, corporate returns should have been filed by March 15 and personal by April 15, but this year, thanks to storm damage across the state, we get to sleep in until Oct. 15.

Check with your tax professional as situations may vary. If your attempting to perfect a tax-deferred exchange, according to the IRS, the agency has extended the 45-day and 180-day 1031 exchange deadlines for eligible taxpayers. Those who qualify now have an extended general dostponement date of Oct. 16 to find a replacement property and close on a 1031 exchange transaction.

Maintenance expenses

Your landlord may lump all of your operating expenses into an annual amount and bill you on a monthly basis.

Typically, budgeting for this occurs in October so that invoicing can begin in January. Taken into account are things such as property taxes, insurance and maintenance. If you pay too much or too little during a calendar year, the amounts are reconciled in the first quarter.

If you’ve not received a reconciliation for common area maintenance, I’d suggest phoning your owner.

Are all your entities active?

A good time to check this is during tax time, but since the filing window for taxes has moved, make sure you’ve paid the state for those corporate filings.

Check on business licenses as well. We represented a seller a few years ago who hadn’t paid his LLC filing fees for 28 years! You can imagine the drama and expenses necessary to reactivate his entity so that we could transact.

Take a look at all of the physical elements of your commercial real estate, too.

Now that the rain has (hopefully) subsided until fall, your roof may need more than a seasonal patch. With the crunch of repairs causing roofers sleepless nights, you might actually be able to hire one.

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Now is a great time to check on your air conditioning as the hot months will be here soon. The sump pump on your truck well got a good workout last quarter. Make sure he’s up for the next soaking.

Last but not least, plans for the balance of the year.

Is a move in your future? With industrial vacancies still at historic lows, don’t wait until 90 days prior to expiration to commence the search. Most will agree a year to 18 months is appropriate for a proper search, negotiation, fit and relocation.

Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, is a principal with Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Orange. He can be reached at [email protected] or 714.564.7104.

​ Orange County Register 

NBA, players reach deal on new 7-year labor agreement

• April 1, 2023

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer

The NBA will have labor peace for years to come.

The league and its players came to an agreement late Friday night PT on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement, the NBA announced. It is still pending ratification, though that process is almost certainly no more than a formality.

The deal will begin this summer and will last at least through the 2028-29 season. Either side can opt out then; otherwise, it will last through 2029-30.

Among the details, per a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press: the in-season tournament that Commissioner Adam Silver has wanted for years will become reality, and players will have to appear in at least 65 games in order to be eligible for the top individual awards such as Most Valuable Player. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the league nor the National Basketball Players Association released specifics publicly.

The NBA is curbing the ability of the highest-spending teams, such as the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers, to continue running up salary and luxury tax spending while still maintaining mechanisms to add talent to the roster. There will now be a second luxury tax level that, when reached, will keep teams from using their midlevel exception to sign players. That was a clear compromise, given how some teams wanted the so-called “upper spending limit” that would have essentially installed an absolute ceiling on what can be spent each season and help balance the playing field between the teams that are willing to pay enormous tax bills and those who aren’t.

As a counter to those spending limitations, the new CBA is expected to create more spending and trade opportunities for teams at the middle and lower spectrum of spending. There will be an opening of more opportunities in the free agent market, including larger trade exceptions.

Not in the CBA is a change to the policy that would allow high school players to enter the NBA draft. It was discussed and has been an agenda item for months, but it won’t be changing anytime soon – probably not for at least the term of the next CBA.

“We also appreciate that there is a lot of benefit to really having veterans who can bring those 18-year-olds along,” NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said in February during an NBPA news conference at All-Star weekend. “And so, certainly anything that we would even consider, to be quite honest, would have to include a component that would allow veterans to be a part of it as well.”

The in-season tournament could arrive as soon as the 2023-24 season. The event will include pool-play games that are part of the regular-season schedule beginning in November – with eight teams advancing to a single-elimination tournament in December. The Final Four will be held at a neutral site, with Las Vegas reportedly part of that discussion. Each in-season tournament game would count toward regular-season standings, and the two finalists would ultimately play 83 regular-season games. Winning players and coaches will earn additional prize money.

There is an increase in two-way contract slots, reportedly from two to three per team. Two-way contracts were created in the 2017 CBA as a way for teams to develop younger players. It has been seen as a success, as it’s become a route to players earning long-term homes in the league, and in several cases becoming major contributors (the Lakers developed Austin Reaves and Alex Caruso that way).

Silver said Wednesday, at the conclusion of a two-day Board of Governors meeting, that he was hopeful of getting a deal done by the weekend. He also said there had been no consideration – at least on the league’s part – of pushing the opt-out date back for a third time.

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The current CBA, which took effect July 1, 2017, came with a mutual option for either the NBA or the NBPA to opt out after six seasons – June 30 of this year. The sides originally had a Dec. 15 deadline to announce an intention to exercise the opt-out, then pushed it back to Feb. 8, then to Friday.

The league and the union continued talking after the midnight ET opt-out deadline passed, and a deal was announced nearly three hours later.

The agreement doesn’t end the process, though it’s obviously a huge step forward.

The owners will have to vote on what the negotiators have hammered out, and the players will have to vote to approve the deal as well. Then comes the actual writing of the document – the most recent CBA checked in at around 600 pages containing nearly 5,000 paragraphs and 200,000 words. Much of it will be the same; much of it will need revising.

​ Orange County Register 

Marina softball tops No. 2 Esperanza in extra innings in Carew Classic

• April 1, 2023

ANAHEIM — Freshman pitcher Mia Valbuena held her composure despite seeing the Marina softball team leave 12 runners on base.

It eventually took eight innings, but the Vikings beat Esperanza 6-3 in the opening round of the Michelle Carew Classic on Friday afternoon.

Esperanza (14-3) is ranked No. 2 in Orange County and Marina (16-1) is ranked No. 6.

“We let Mia be Mia,” Marina co-coach Dan Hay said of the team’s freshman standout, who pitched all eight innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits. “She is good enough to pitch out of jams. She does her job, as long as her defense has her back, she will be successful. For a freshman, she is pretty stoic. She just stays on task and does what she needs to do.”

Marina, ranked No. 1 in CIF-SS Division 2, also defeated Murrieta Mesa 6-1 in a second-round game Friday night.

The Vikings will play St. Francis, the No. 1 team in the Bay Area, in the semifinals of the Gold Bracket on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. at Peralta Park in Anaheim.

Against Esperanza, Marina left five runners on base in the first three innings, and the Aztecs scored first thanks to a two-run single by Calista Van Artsdalen in the bottom of the third.

Marina left two more runners on base in the fourth inning.

“It happens,” Valbuena said of the runners left on base. “Not everyone is going to get a hit, but you just have to pick up your team.”

The Vikings finally broke through with Anaya Togia’s double to center field that sent Makayla Mathis home.

Marina’s Makayla Mathis went 4 for 5 and scored her team’s first run in a 6-3 victory over Esperanza in the first round of the Michelle Carew Classic on Friday, March 31, 2023. (Photo by Manny Alvarez)

Togia also scored on the play as a throw to second base ricocheted off Togia’s foot and went into left field, and she came around to tie the score 2-2.

Marina took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning on a throw that went past the third baseman, allowing Courtney Hames to score.

Esperanza tied the score in the bottom of the seventh inning. After a double by pinch-hitter Erin Bigani, pinch runner Dani Vegar scored on a ground out by Charley Duran.

Marina took the lead in the eighth inning on a play that initially drew a strong reaction from Esperanza coach Ed Tunstall.

On a ground ball hit to third base by Hallie Piramo, Marina’s Averie Prescott was caught in a rundown between third and home. Prescott was tagged out, but the umpires called obstruction on Esperanza, awarding Prescott to score the go-ahead run.

“It was the umpires call,” Tunstall said. “I didn’t see it that way, but that’s why he’s an umpire and I’m the coach. I didn’t see an obstruction. I saw the runner go back to third base, she was not trying to advance home. Umpire saw otherwise.”

The Vikings added a pair of runs in the inning thanks to RBI singles from Gabby DiBenedetto and Rachel Ruiz.

Valbuena finished the game to earn the victory for the Vikings.

Mathis went 4 for 5 at the plate for Marina.

“We kept saying that we’re going to get this, we’re on them,” Mathis said. “We had to get the runs in. We kept leaving runners in scoring position. We finally just said we’re going to get this done and we got it. We finally just clicked and jumped on them.”

Duran threw 2 2/3 innings of relief for Esperanza.

​ Orange County Register 

Cat Zingano wins No. 1 contender scrap over Leah McCourt at Bellator 293

• April 1, 2023

TEMECULA — Talk about a reversal of fortune for Cat Zingano.

The top-ranked featherweight turned the tables on four Leah McCourt takedowns and delivered enough damage to win a unanimous decision in a well-fought Bellator 293 co-main event Friday night at Pechanga Casino Resort.

The judges scored it 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 for the former UFC bantamweight title contender, who fights out of San Diego.

The entertaining scrap appeared to be a No. 1 contender bout – and Zingano said she wants to be champion while taking a jab at the current titleholder.

“I mean, right now it sounds like the belt is vacant half the time,” Zingano said, taking a shot at featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who has embarked on a boxing career while awaiting an opponent and accusing Zingano of ducking her.

Cyborg responded to a tweet asking for comment: “Ask her who’s picture is hanging in @BellatorMMA champions row. Who’s on the posters in her locker room?”

Ask her who’s picture is hanging in @BellatorMMA champions row. Who’s on the posters in her locker room?

— CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) April 1, 2023

Zingano outstruck McCourt 48-44, but McCourt scored four takedowns to Zingano’s one. But it was Zingano’s ability to escape from the ground, as well as bruise and bloody McCourt’s face, that helped get her hand raised.

McCourt (7-3) appeared to control the opening round, but she emerged from it with a significant welt under her left eye. Felicia Oh, however, scored all three rounds for Zingano (14-4).

The 40-year-old Zingano, giving up 10 years to the taller and seemingly bigger Northern Ireland 145-pounder, grappled effectively to negate McCourt’s efforts and displayed domination on the mat in the second round. The scorecards reflected that, with all three judges scoring it for Zingano.

“I’m hard to keep on my back. I’ve heard that before,” Zingano said. “She’s really tall and really strong and a lot of body. I’m not used to that, still, at this weight class. Yeah, I knew it was going to be a tussle with her, and it was going to be a lot of work.

“What I do know is I know how to cause damage and a lot of it. I think the damage made up for some of the transitional periods, and here we are.”

McCourt scored an early takedown to open the third round and held the position for half the round. Zingano scored her most important reversal, possibly saving her the fight.

As they rose against the cage, Zingano drove a knee to McCourt’s face and busted her open. Oh and Michael Bell scored the round for Zingano, while Chris Crall gave it to McCourt.

what a cut pic.twitter.com/mk3w8MxDCt

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 1, 2023

In other main card fights …

James flattens Golm: Heavyweight Daniel James opened the third round by flooring Marcelo Golm before calling out champion Ryan Bader.

The Chicago big man wound up on an uppercut and landed flush. A left and well-placed right sent Golm (10-4) stumbling and onto his face for the finish just 26 seconds into the round.

𝗛𝗘’𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧! @djames1981 storms out of the gates in round 3 and gets the KO!#Bellator293 | Watch LIVE on @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/3RYahPnsTV

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 1, 2023

In his postfight interview, James (15-6-1) respectfully asked for a title shot. Bader, who was in attendance, rose to his feet and appeared to welcome the challenge.

Salter goes out on top: John Salter (19-6) put an exclamation point on his 14-year MMA career by dominating Aaron Jeffery for a unanimous-decision victory.

All three judges scored it 30-27 for the 38-year-old middleweight, who announced he was retiring after the win, in which he often grappled successfully and worked for submissions on Jeffery (13-4).

Colgan cracks Montalvo: In a battle of unbeaten lightweights, Archie Colgan continued to lay a claim for stiffer competition after his first-round TKO of Justin Montalvo. Colgan (7-0) dropped Montalvo (5-1) with a right hook and later followed with eight punches to the downed 155-pounder before the fight was stopped at 3:33 of the opening round.

Trainer taps Cauley: Luke Trainer (7-1) needed just 2:58 to tap out Sullivan Cauley (5-1) via rear-naked choke. The British light heavyweight afterward proposed to his girlfriend in the cage.

​ Orange County Register 

Pacifica baseball knocks off Villa Park in Loara Tournament final

• April 1, 2023

ANAHEIM — Pacifica’s pitching duo of Chad Gurnea and Logan Brady blanked Villa Park to give the Mariners a 4-0 win in the championship game of the Loara Tournament Friday at Brookhurst Park.

Pacifica (14-2) beat Yorba Linda, JW North, Fountain Valley and Bishop Amat previously in the baseball tournament that began in early February. The championship game had been rescheduled twice due to rain.

Pacifica entered this week ranked No. 12 in the Orange County Top 25 and Villa Park was ranked No. 4.

Gurnea, a Cal State Fullerton signee, pitched four shutout innings, allowed just two hits and struck out five to earn the win.

“Coming into the first inning I had a bit of adrenaline facing a good lineup like Villa Park,” Gurnea said. “As the game went on I realized that we were in this game for a reason. If we play our game, good things will happen.”

Pacifica’s Chad Gurnea pitched four shutout innings and earned the win as the Mariners defeated Villa Park 4-0 in the Loara Tournament final on Friday, March 31, 2023. (Photo by Michael Huntley)

“Big players come through in big games,” Pacifica coach Mike Caira said. “He’s been doing this since his sophomore year. He hit his spots and credit goes to the defense too.”

Brady pitched the remaining three innings to earn the save. The senior scattered five hits and had one strikeout.

“Logan was lights out,” Caira said. “He and Chad have a healthy competition and they kept the shutout intact against one of the top teams around.”

Andrew Krodel was effective on the mound for VIlla Park (11-3) as well. The UC Santa Barbara signee allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts.

Pacifica left runners on base early in the game, but got timely hits when it was needed. With runners on second and third in the fourth inning, Jayson Juarez hit a run-scoring single to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

Juarez went 2 for 2 with a walk and two RBIs to lead Pacifica’s offense.

Pacifica added three runs in the sixth inning. Juarez drove in a run with a bunt single and Ryland Chastain drove in two runs with a single.

Caira turned to senior Chastain to pinch hit with the bases loaded. Chastain was an everyday player for last season but hasn’t been in the lineup as frequently this season.

“He’s a senior who hasn’t gotten it going a lot and I told him he was going to get in,” Caira said of Chastain. “He got in and came up big. The big smile on his face was awesome and I’m really happy for him.”

Villa Park got two runners on in the seventh inning, but Brady drew a groundout to third base to finish the game unscathed.

Texas A&M signee Gavin Grahovac and senior Geoff McArthur each had two hits for Villa Park.

Villa Park has a Crestview League game Saturday against Foothill. The Spartans beat Foothill 6-1 on Tuesday in the first game of the series.

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Pacifica will continue Empire League play next week with a two-game series against Crean Lutheran.

The Mariners are 2-0 in league play and have a marquee matchup against perennial league champion Cypress to end the regular season.

“The Empire League is tough so hopefully we can take care of business,” Caira said. “Crean Lutheran is tough so don’t sleep on them. We will try to make up some games and pad our schedule with good teams and hopefully take care of what we need to do at the end of the year.”

​ Orange County Register