Oilers reach tourney title game

Wednesday proved to be an eventful day for local baseball and softball teams.

The Sunset League baseball race took another turn after Marina and Edison picked up big victories. In a Golden West League baseball game, Ocean View won again to solidify its first-place standing. At the Michelle Carew Softball Classic, Huntington Beach came up with a perfect performance to advance to the tournament’s championship game.

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Softball

Huntington Beach will play for the Michelle Carew Classic title April 30. The Oilers advanced to the tourney final after junior right-hander Ivy Davis (six strikeouts) threw a perfect game in an 8-0 shutout of Whittier California. Anna Kufta had three hits including a home run, and Jadelyn Allchin also had three hits.

The Oilers, ranked fourth in CIF Southern Section Division 1, won for the 15th time in 16 games this season. They are in the final of the Carew Classic, in its 32nd year, for the first time, and are in a tournament title game for the third time in as many tourney appearances this year. The Oilers previously reached the finals of the Cypress and Arroyo Grande tournaments, winning the Arroyo Grande Softball by the Beach tournament earlier this month.

Huntington will meet the winner of the semifinal game between Orange Lutheran (No. 6, Division 1) and Mission Viejo (No. 1, Division 2) for the title at 7:30 p.m. April 30 at Canyon/Anaheim High.

The Oilers continue Sunset League play Thursday (3:15 p.m.) at Newport Harbor High.

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Baseball

Marina defeated Huntington Beach on the Vikings’ home field for the second time this year, a 5-2 victory that put the Vikings into a tie with the Oilers for first-place in the Sunset League.

On offense for the Vikings’ Griffin Hennessey went two for three with a double and Steven Casas had two hits including a two-run single

Sophomore right-hander Jared Minor (4-0) took the win on a four-hit, two-walk, one-earned-run and three-strikeout performance in six innings. Senior right-hander Riley Ohl, who went the distance in a 4-0 shutout of Huntington in a league opener March 18 at Marina, closed the seventh and registered the save.

J.J. Muratore went two for three and Ben McConnell had an RBI for Huntington.

Marina won for the seventh-straight time in moving to 12-6 overall. Huntington, ranked fourth in CIF-SS Division 1, fell to 14-6 overall.

The Vikings and Oilers share first place in league with 4-2 records.

“We are playing baseball together,” Marina Coach Bob Marshall said. “This is what winning is all about, team unity.

“Our players are buying in to our style of baseball, that is, play fundamental baseball. Play within your abilities, pitch/attack the zone. Defense, routine plays must be made. Offense, hit-hit-hit, stay through the ball, take the lift out. This creates team wins and every one of our players is contributing in some way to the success of our squad. Can’t be more proud.”

The Vikings and Oilers conclude their three-game league series at 3:15 p.m. Friday in Huntington’s first home game of the season at its newly-renovated field.

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•Edison went to Los Alamitos Wednesday and returned with a 10-8 victory over the Griffins.

Edison Coach Cameron Chinn said that Chargers starting left fielder and lead-off hitter, freshman Ted Burton, injured his arm during pregame warm-ups. Catcher Connor Aoki, who was to be used as designated hitter, instead took the lead-off role. The sophomore went on to come up with a big performance with two hits, two RBIs, two stolen bases and two runs scored.

Kyler Arenado went three for four with four RBIs and John Thomas, who had an apparent home run that went off the foul pole taken away in the third inning, eventually singled to ignite a big inning for the Chargers.

Junior right-hander Jared Sasaki recorded the win, his first of the season. Senior right-hander Kaz Akamatsu, who signed Wednesday with UC Irvine, threw two relief innings and got the save. Akamatsu also had a big game on offense, going three for five with an RBI and two runs scored.

Edison improved to 7-12-1 overall and 3-3 in league. Wednesday’s win put the Chargers into a tie for third place in the league standings with Los Alamitos.

“We were able to execute throughout the game which led to almost all of our runs scored,” Edison Coach Cameron Chinn said.

The Chargers and Griffins complete their three-game league series at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Edison. The Griffins won the first meeting between the teams March 18 at Edison, 3-1.

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•In the third Sunset game Wednesday, Fountain Valley hosted Newport Harbor and lost to the Sailors who scored five runs in the top of the fourth inning to wipe out a 3-2 deficit en route to a 8-3 win.

Travis Burleson and Justin Yang (two runs) both had two hits for the Barons who fell to 2-4 in league — tied with Newport Harbor for fifth place, and 11-7 overall.

The three-game league series between the teams ends when they meet at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Newport Harbor. The Barons won the March 18 league opener, 4-1, at Newport.

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•Ocean View scored five runs early and went on to post a 7-2 win over host Santa Ana for their second Golden West League win over the Saints.

Joseph Romero went two for four and drove in four runs and junior right-hander Adam Carles (six innings) allowed two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts and recorded the win.

Ocean View is alone in first place in the league standings at 6-0, and squared its overall record at 7-7.

“The team did a really good job of competing early and setting the tone for the game,” Ocean View Coach Tanner VanMaanen said.

The Seahawks previously defeated the Saints March 24, 8-3, prior to heading into spring break. The teams conclude their three-game league series at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Ocean View.