CIF: Liberty Charter earns berth to 5-AA baseball semifinals

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 24, 2025

2025 EAST PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

East County Sports.com

ALPINE — In the brief history of Liberty Charter baseball, the Lions have yet to reach a CIF title game in any San Diego Section division.

Although the odds are against them this season, at least Liberty Charter earned another opportunity following Saturfay’s (May 24)playback final in the Division 5-AA double-elimination bracjet.

Lsenior ions center fielder Nathan Banks, a four-year varsity performer, registered a career-best five RBI on 2-for-4 hitting,taking down Chula Vista Learning, 14-6, in the challenger bracket final held at Alpine American Little League

The big blow for Banks was a two-run douvle inthe fourth, when the Lions expanded a 4-1 lead with nine straigfht runs to pu the victory to bed early.

Brody Harris, the winning pitcher, started the rally with an RBI diuble, later scoring on the Banks two-bagger.

An ining inning , a 6-run rally begin on a two-run double by catcher Drake Keehl. Hrris and Keehl both finished with three RBI on a pair of basehits.

Liberty Charter (14-10) advances to the lower bracket final against unbeaten The Rock Academy.

The top-seeded Warriors (20-3) already defeated the Lions this pustseason. Thus, Liberty Charter must win twice in order to advance to its first section championship ballgame.

In the other half of the bracket, the remaining unbeaten side is Borrego Springs. The Rams will host Ocean View Christian after the Patriots eliminated North County-High Tech, 5-2, on Saturday (May 24).

Elsewhere

Four other East County and nearby schools already advances to Tuesday’s winners bracket finale, all getting two opportunities to advance to a CIFSDS championship game.

In the elite Open Division, unbeaten Granite Hills will again host St. Augustine. The Saints survived Saturday’s challenger bracket final by stopping Del Norte, 8-2.

In the lower bracket, sixth-seeded Patrick Henry will also have rested pitching when they meet Eastlake.

The Titans took second-seeded San Marcos out of the playoff competititon, 11-3, as Knights pitching allowed 29 total runs in their last two ballgames.

DInce Eastlake is seeded seventh, Patrick Heny will play host on Tuesday (May 27). The possible playback final would be Wednesday, with bracket winners meeting for the CIFSDS crown on Friday at San Diego State’s Tony Gwynn Stadium on Charlie Smith Field.

Division 4

The Ramona Bulldogs are th front-runner in th lower bracket of Division 4, hosting Palo Verde Valley for a title-game berth.

The Yellowjackets of Bluythe took their challenger final by downing low desert rival El Centro-Central.

This series will take a more traqditional route, with bracket games on Tuesday and (if necessary_ Thursday, followed the title game on Saturday, which will be held next Saturday at USD’s Ron Fowler Field (formerly Cunningham Stadium).