CIF: Patrick Henry, Borrego Springs, Ramona, reach semis

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 24, 2025

2025 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

East County Sports.com

Open Division

Patrick Henry 18, San Marcos 8

SAN MARCOS – Patrick Henry right fielder Tyson Bobo registered a career-high five RBI, including a grand slam, as therPatriotsd handed second-seeded San Marcs its biggest setback since 2009 in an 18-8 thuumping in Friday’s (May 23) CIFSDS Open Division lower bracket contest

In one of the highest-scoring Open Division playioff games in years, Patrick Henry bats blasted the Knioghts pitchin stagg for a pair of key homers amoong 18 hits by the Pats, giving them the inside track to capture the bracket and advance to the section championship ballgame next weekend.

Patrick Henry (20-8-2), the fifth seed, advances to next week’s bracket final round, needing to win one of a possible two games in the double-elimination phase of the tournament.

San Marcos (20-7-1) needs to win three straighht gajmes to advance to the final. The Knights first meet Eastlake in Saturday’s challenger brcket final. The winner then needsw to defeat the Paqtriots twice.

History

The 18 runs is the Patrick Henry’s highest total since the 2020 pandemic. Prior tothe shutdown, the best by the Patriots was 22 against San Diego HS on Apr. 23, 2019.

Conversly, San MArcos last yielded 18 runs in a shutout loss to Rancho Bernardo on Apr. 24,2023.

The Knights previously allowed 18 runs was to Fallbrook on May 3, 201 1.; and Scripps Ranch, Mar. 19, 2010.

For a higher total, you need to reach back to March 2009 — when many current players (ostly sophomores) were not even born — when Poway won 23-2,

Game stuff

Trailing 2-0, Patrick Henry tallied twice in the secondinning to pull even, starting a 7-0 scoring run.

Then in a mathematical criss-cross, the Patriots later added 6 runs in the 5th, then 5 runs in the 6th.

Right fielder Tyson Bobo was the “Big Boy” with a career-best five RBI, inckuding a grand slam in the third to give the Patruits the lead for keeps. The homer was Bobo’s fourth of the season.

Also homering was third baseman Sal Gagliano — his first of the season — with a 2-run ahit in the second.

Gagliano’s homer came moments after an Marcos slugger Max Farrell re-claimed the CIFSDS home run lead over Brenden Lewis of Granite Hills with his ninth long-ball of the season.

The game got out of hand in the sixth, when six of the first seven Patriots batters registrered hits, capped by consecutive doubles by center fielder Alex Mestman and pinch-hitter Lukas Oquendo.

For the Patriots, Jayden Goldman and Ian Brooke also drove in a pair of runs. The winning pitcher was Brady Gunn, who struck out six San Marcos batters over four innings.

Division 4

Ramona 9, Palo Verde Valley 3.

RAMONA – Why haven’t you heard of alo Verde Valley High School?

Well, the Yellowjacketsare the lone San Diego Section school NOT located in San Diego ir Imperial counties/ Iyt’s located on the eastern edge of Riversdity County along the Colorado River.

Traditionally, the ‘Jackets field a prettty good baseball team, but not on Friday (May 23).

The host Ramona Bulldogs registered six runs in their first trip to the plate, pushing the margin to 9-0 through three frames to back the complete-game pitching of Alec Wilson in a CIFSDS Division 4 winners bracket victory.

Wilson struck out 12 Palo Verde Valley batters in recdording a 5-hit victory.

Although it was technically a short drive for the Jackets, they prepared for a long, solumn returnn to The River after Ramona scored six early runs.

Some of the runs came on a passed ball,a bases-loaded walk and a grkund out. Tere were also RBI baseits from Colton Simpson, James Knowd and Noah Bedia

Meanwhile, Justin Jarrett and Tallon Ogilive each added two RBI.

Ramona, the second seeds, will await the winner of Saturday’s challenger bracket final betwwen Palo Verde Valley, the third seed, which will hgost sixtgh-seeded El Centro-Central.

Saturday’s winner plays at Ramona on Tuesday. If necessary, a “playback final: would be playe dThursday.

In the upper bracket, fifth-seeded Hilltop posted its second upsey victgory to advance to next week’s bracket final. The Lancers nipped Lincoln, 7-6.

On Saturday, the winner between Lincoln and top-seeded Otay Ranch will meet Hilltop for a berth in the CIFSDS championship game,

Division 5-AA

The Rock 12, Liberty Charter 2

OCEAN BEACH – At Presidio Littel Legaue, top-seeded The Rock Academy, ested Liberty Charter of Alpine, 12-2, in the winners bracket final.

Next week, the Warriors (20-3) get two opportunities to reach the CIFSDS section final by meeting the winner of Saturday’s game between Liberty Charter,, the fourth-seed, against Chula Vista Learning (10-7).

Liberty CHarter catcher Drake Keehl provided both of the Lions runs with a double in the third for a 3-2 lead.

However, The Rock re-ttok the lead wthtworuns inthe home-half of the frame, then added four runs inthe3 fourth.

Borrego Springs 12, Northh County-High Tech 4

BORREGO SPIRNGS – The Borrego Springs Rams moved to within one victory of advance to the CIFSDS Division 5-AA championship ballgame after stopping the Raptiors of North Counjty-High Tech High, 12-4, at the 597-foot elevayon of his low desert community by Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

The village of Borrego Springs is a designated International Dark Sky Community… which has nothing to do with basesball, except to note that the Rams did not report game results.,, and they won!

DID YOU KNOW? Late Hollywood actress Natalie Wood knew about Borrego Springs when she wass the mysery, celebrity guest on the old CBS television panel show “To Tell The Trith” (Apr. 24, 1966).