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Griffins postseason opener: a walk-off winner by Rodgers

2026 GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASEBALL
3C2A Playoffs – First Round

 

East County Sports.com

SANTA MARIA — In one of the school’s most dramatic postseason victories since capturing the state championship in 2917, Grossmont College utilized a two-out, none on rally to score twice in the bottom of the ninth inning to shock Cuesta College, 8-7, in the first round of 2026 state playoffs.

The regional is being held pm historic John Osborne Field at Allan Hancock College, where the host Bullldogs (32=9), seeded seventh, will meet the 10th-seeded Griffins (26-15) on Saturday at 1 p.n.

Owen Rodgers (Granite Hills), the clean-up hitting catcher, delivered the decisive blow with a basehit just beyond the reach of the Cougars second baseman. Dave Frost easily scored from third base to tie the ballgame, but when Justin Heffler was also waved home, he beat the throw home from the right fielder.

Cuesta (20-22), the No. 23 seed and one of two Southern California teams to advance to the regional with a sub-.500 record, retired the first two Grossmont batters in theninth — but the Cougars never collect Out No. 27 when facing the top of the Grossmont batting order for the fifth time.

Frost, the leadoff hitting left fielder, extended the contest with his own ground single to right field, then Cuesta’s chance to again end the game failed on an error by the shortstop.

Thus, with runners in scoring position, shortstop Logan Aguilar was intentionally walked to load the base, followed by Rodgers’ game-winner.

Cuesta scored three times in the first inning and held te lead throughout until the final batter. The Cougars also held leads of 5-1 and 7-4 before the Griffins scored twice in the seventh and ninth frames.

Heffler, the center fielder who batted 4-for-5 with two runs and three RBI, doubled to trim the deficit to 7-6 in the seventh. Hellfrt also stole a pair of bases.

Frost and Rodgers also added two hits each.

Notes: This was the first postseason meeting between the teams in two decades. In 2006, in a best-of-three series held in San Luis Obispo, Cuesta won the opener, but Grossmont swept a double-header onthe next day to advance to the super regionals.

— Nick Pellegrino

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