Patrick Henry moves on by slim margin

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: June 4, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF South Regional – Quarterfinals

Compiled by Nick Pellegrino
ECS Senior writer

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA – Franjkly, Patrick Henry pitcherKayden Henson wasn’t slated to pitch in the CIF State championships, except for maybe an inning or two of long relief or mop-up duty.

Nevertheless, Henson was inserted for the biggest ballganme of his career after the Patriots’ South Regional quarterfinal contest was rained out after three innings.

In Thursday’s (June 4) continuation, Henson got the job done… but by the slimmest of margins.

OTHER VIEWS: Orange County Register

Following three no-hit innings from Patrick Henry starter Nate Moloney before the rains forced a return trip to south Orange County, Hanson finished with four shutout innings in the Patriots 2-0 verdict over Santa Margarita.

However, Hanson came less than a (name your favorite small object) of fumbling away the ballgame on the game’s final pitch.

Instead of a possible 3-run, game-winning home run by Eagles sluger Luke Blanchard, the line drive to right field found the glove of defender Tyson Bobo to preserve a date into Thursday’s regional semifinals.

Patrick Henry head coach Sheldon Watkins believed his plans for the postseason were well groomed.

Utilize Moloney in the opener against Santa Margarita, which only made the playoffs when Trijity League rival Orange Lutheran decided noit to participate.

Editorial comment: Orange Luthern often seeks to beg out of the state playoffs with a less-than-=stellar team, only agreeing to a CIF state berth when they possess a truly quality roster. Thus, the Lancers doesn’t harm their overall record.

Meanwhile, Watkins could utilize standout pitchers Cody Cappelletti (0.55 ERA) and Brady Gunn (6-2 record) to close the Division 1 South Regional, giving the Patriots their best opportunity to earn a berth to the state championship.

Hanson did his job over his first three innings, as Patrick Henry’s 2-0 lead after the first two innings was still standing tall.

But was the seventh inning as close to a nightmare as a pitcher can withstand.

Lead-off hitter Warren Gravely IV — yes, a member of “that: infamous Gravely family — was hit by a pitch, then Andre Owens accepted a one-out walk to place the potential game-tying runs on base.

Hansen answered with the final of his six strikeouts, but the walk allowed Blanchard to come to the plate as the pinch-hitter, needed just one mighty swing for a walk-off victory.

After the first pitch was outside for a ball, Hansen’s next offering caugh too much of the plate, with Blanchard making full contact.

Luckily for the Patriots, the ball stayed down instead of flying out of the ballpark, with the glove of Robo registering the final out.

Robo was also a key to Tuesday’s early run production.

In the first innng, following a one-out single by Preston Conklin and the traditional two-out “unintentional intentional” walk to Cappelletti, Robo sent a hard grounder through the right side for a 1-0 lead.

An inning later, third baseman Sal Gagliano accepted a one-out walk, Hansen singled, then with two down, Conklin delivered an RBI line single up the middle.

Patrick Henry (22-10-2) will meet third-seeded Crespi of Encino. The Celts are 25-3 overall, including Tuesday’s narrow 4-3 win over Mater Dei of Santa Ana.

In the upper bracket of Division 1, top-seeded St. John Bosco of Bellflower survived a 2-1 challenge from St. Augustine.

Throw in the Villa Park win over Granite Hills, 5-4 in 9 innings, every game was a 1-run deicision, except for Patrick Henry’s margin of victory by two runs.

OFFICIAL STATE DIVISION I BRACKET

Eagles Notes: The San Diego Union-tribune reported that Granite Hills first baseman Parker Vance, who recorded the game-winning, three-run triple to account for all of the scoring in last Friday’s CIF-San Diego Section championship game victory, did so with a fractured wrist. Thus, Vance did not play in Tuesday’s South Regional opener with his hand in a cast.