Oilers split with JSerra
An early showdown between two teams that have shared the top spot in the first few weeks of the 2016 prep baseball season took place Monday when Huntington Beach and JSerra met in San Juan Capistrano. The Oilers and host Lions put on a show and split their nonleague doubleheader.
JSerra, ranked No. 1 in CIF Southern Section Division 1, used a fourth-inning grand slam by catcher Lyle Lin to get past third-ranked Huntington, 9-6. The Oilers fell behind, 5-0, in Game 2 but stormed back, getting a two-run home run from Chad Minato and a key triple from Landon Silver to rally for a 9-8 victory.
Defending Division 1 champion Huntington, which started the season ranked No. 1 in the division, scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning of the second game, the two go-ahead runs brought home on Silver’s triple.
Additionally, Dominic Abbadessa doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Oilers (3-3), and Kobe Anton (1-0) got the pitching win in 2 2/3 relief innings.
“I feel like I just went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson,” Huntington Coach Benji Medure said of the intense doubleheader. “We are exhausted. Those were two, emotionally draining games. That is why we schedule them, though. It makes us better as we approach league.
“I feel like we finally came together and played for each other. We need to eliminate the freebies, but I feel like we are on track.”
In the opening game of the twinbill, JJ Muratore had three hits and Minato, Abbadessa and Hagen Danner each had two hits.
Huntington starts its Sunset League season at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Marina. Next week, the Oilers start play at the 16-team USA Baseball National High School Invitational tournament at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. They’ll meet Poly Prep from Brooklyn, N.Y. in an opener at 11 a.m. (PST) Wednesday. Medure said the game will be televised at www.MLB.com.
The Oilers were invited to the national tournament for the second-straight year. Last year, they posted a 3-1 tournament record. Their lone loss came in the semifinal round to eventual tournament champion San Clemente.
This year’s tournament runs through March 26.
“It is an unforgettable experience for all of us,” Medure said of the tournament. “It is an honor to get invited to the event and we are humbled by the fact that we can go again. Hopefully, we represent our city well.”
—
•In another nonleague matchup Monday, Marina traveled to Irvine to battle Crean Lutheran (No. 3, CIF–SS Division 6) and lost in 11 innings to the host Saints, 3-2. Chris Reynolds had two hits and an RBI for the Vikings (4-4).
Marina turned in a 3-2 run at the Loara Tournament that concluded Saturday. In their final game, the Vikings put up six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to surge past El Modena, 8-1. Freshman Steven Casas had two hits and freshman Cory Lewis and senior Griffin Hennessey each had two RBIs for the Vikings.
“We had some timely hitting and (our) pitching was well enough to earn three victories,” Marina Coach Bob Marshall said. “We have to execute and play better defense in order to win consistently.”
Marina hosts Huntington for a 3:15 p.m. Sunset League opener Friday.
—
•Edison concluded play Saturday at the Loara Tournament, and the Chargers were upended by El Dorado, 3-1. In a tourney game played March 8, the Chargers and Garden Grove Pacifica played to a 3-3 tie. For the Chargers, Vince Inman went three for three with an RBI, Noah Dettman hit a solo home run in his only at-bat, Kaz Akamatsu had two hits and walked, and Adam Gooch had a single and RBI.
Edison hosts Los Alamitos in a 3:15 p.m. Sunset League opener Friday.
—
•In the other Sunset League opener Friday, Fountain Valley travels for a 3:15 p.m. game at Newport Harbor.
—
•Ocean View started its Golden West League season Wednesday. The score from the Seahawks’ game at Westminster wasn’t available at press time.
Ocean View also will travel Friday for a 3:15 p.m. league game at Segerstrom, and on Saturday will take on Redondo Union at 9 a.m. at Angel Stadium.
—
•Brethren Christian concluded its run at the Newport Elks Tournament Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Temecula Rancho Christian. Eric Alexander threw six innings and allowed one earned run for the Warriors who went 1-4 at the tournament.
In previous tourney action, BC lost to Pico Rivera El Rancho, and routed Bolsa Grande, 22-7. In the win over Bolsa Grande, Kieran Alexander went three for four with four RBIs and threw five innings, George Miller went three for four and scored five runs, Brendan Hughes three for four, and Eric Alexander, Zach Koenig and Jack Patcheak each went two for four.
“It was a great learning and overall experience for us competing in the Newport Elks tournament,” BC Coach Mike Thompson said. “I felt it has brought our team closer together and has given guys more confidence on the mound, in the field, and at the plate.”
The Warriors are on the road in Irvine Thursday for a 3:15 p.m. game at Tarbut V’ Torah.
—
CIF Weekly Rankings (released Monday)
Huntington Beach (No. 3, Division 1).
