Huntington Beach Makes Final

Jeff Ruziecki’s RBI single in the top of the ninth broke a tie and Huntington Beach went on to defeat University, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament.

The Oilers will face Long Beach Millikan, which beat La Puente Bishop Amat, 4-3, in the other semifinal.

University scored all its runs in the second inning, taking a 4-1 lead against Huntington Beach freshman Justin Keadle. He walked the first two batters he faced, Matt McNeill and John Preston. They wound up on second and first with two outs, and came home on a flare single to right by Bill Pike.

Keadle then gave up a bunt single to Orion Ledesma and walked Jordan Cumsky and Joe Claytor to force in another run. When Keadle uncorked a wild pitch to score Ledesma with the Trojans’ fourth run, he was replaced by Corey Keener.

Keener, a senior left-hander, not only got the Oilers out of the inning, he kept University scoreless the rest of the game, giving up four hits and striking out five.

Trojan starter Brent Cook pitched five innings and gave up seven hits. Despite 10 hits--including two doubles and two triples-- and nine runners left on base, the Oilers scored single runs in the fourth and sixth, courtesy of sacrifice flies by Chris Brush and Ty Bonchonsky.

They needed a break to tie the score and got it in the seventh, against Trojan reliever Steve Nolan.

With one out and Nate Beucler on first with a leadoff single, Ryan Bumcot lifted a fly to right that outfielder Andy Dennis dropped. Dennis still had time to throw out Beucler at second for a force play, but shortstop Joe Claytor juggled the ball three times and still didn’t have it cleanly when Beucler slid into the base.

Brush was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Shawn Donahoe hit a fly deep enough to center to score Beucler and tie the score.

In consolation games:

El Toro 11, Los Alamitos 10--El Toro (12-5) rallied from a eight-run deficit. Colin Stiltz doubled in the winning run in the seventh inning.

Ocean View 16, San Francisco Riordan 1--Ocean View (8-9) scored 12 runs in the top of the second to take a 16-0 lead in a game called after five innings by the mercy rule.