CIF Championships: Oquendo, Waite end RB’s 17-season streak

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 23, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

East County Sports.com

EL CAJON – The double-elimination format utilized by the CIF-San Diego Section baseball tournament is simple when reaching Saturday’s (May 23) fourth round: win, and you advance to the bracket finale (needing two wins to advance to the title contest); lose, and your season is over.

Who survived from East County schools? Read on.

Sat., May 23 – Elimination Saturday

Lukas Oquendo, tie-breaking, 3-run double in the sixth

Open Division
Patrick Henry 5, at Rancho Bernardo 2
At Rancho Bernardo: Lukas Oquendo snapped a 2-2 deadlock with a three-run double in the sixth inning, allowing the Patrick Henry Patriots to earn a rematch with top-seeded Cathedral Catholc after again nipping host Rancho Bernardpo, 5-2.

Rancho Bernardo (19-12 overall) saw its streak of 17 straight seasons with 20-or-more wins come to an end. The last fell short in 2007 (also 19-12).

The three-run rally allowed the Pats to snap a 2-2 deadlock, then relief pitcher Lukas Waite completed a stellar stint of four one-hit innings to close-out the Broncos.

Waite struck out four RB batters and walked just one, covering for starter Sal Gagliano, who tossed the first three frames but left in a ballgame thast was tied; he also posted four Ks.

Int the decisive sixth, Jayden Goldman (lead walk) and Wyatt Lo (singled) both moved into scoring position on an intentionally bunt failed when the Broncos cut downnthe lead runner.

Alex Mestman later accepted a two-out walk to load the bases, but the Patriots batting card was turned over, with the best hitters coming up.

Sure enough, Lukas Oquendo took an 0-2 pitch to the opposite field in right, clearing the bases with his three-RBI blast.

For Oquendo, a senior shortstop, he fell just one short of his career-high of four RBI.

Lo and Parks Kronk-Hawley paced the offense with two hits each. Lo, a freshman, also posted a double and scored twice.

Early on, the atriots took the lead on a Kronk- Hawley single to score Oquendo in the first. Oliver Allen singled home Lo in the fourth.

Rancho Bernardo pulled even in the fourth, Brady Strachan slugged a solo home run, then an RBI single set up on a controversial balk call.

Patrick Henry (21-9) and Cathedral Catholic (26-4) split their regular-season series to share the top spot in the Western League.

The Patriots have won or shared the league title in four of the past five seasons, but the Dons gained the Open Division’s top seed based on a better overall record.

Division 2
Santa Fe Christian 8, Grossmont 6
At Academy Field, Dolsns Brsvh: Santa Fe Christian snapped a tied ballgame with two runs in the nottom of the sixthinning to end Grossmont’s season.

Eagles right fielder Sam Carney delivered a two
run double along the 100 -ercent articial turf field for the game-winner.

The Hillers did hold a 5-3 lead in the second, but the game was tied by the fourth before the pitchers took over.

Neither team homers into the stiff wind coming off the Pacific Ocean.

The leading Grossmont hitter was senior first baseman Max Tufugafale, who registered a pair of htts for two RBI. Logan Struck scored twice.

Tufugafale, finishes as the leading hitter for Grossmont *13-19 overall) this season with a .344 batting average. He also topped the ballclub in doubles and total hits, and was second to Struck inn RBI.

Senior Trey Crawford was the home run leader with nine, matching Angel Watkins of Helix for the East County lead. The pair also rank second in the CIFSDS to Own Glick of Rancho Beranrdom who finished with 10.

SantaFe Christian (17-13) next meets Christian, needing to beat the Patriots twice to reacj the CIFSDS title game in the division.

Division 3
Otay Ranch 12, Santana 2
At Otay Ranch: The host Mustangs built a 12-0 cushion to take down the Sultans.

The one saving grace for Santana (14-17), they were the only Grossmont Valley League team in the win column this postseason, psoting CIFSDS wins over Imperial and Mater Dei Catholic.

Otay Ranch (19-12) needs to twice beat Westview to gain a berth in the division title tilt.

— Nick Pellegrino