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CIF Championships: Christian’s Molina: slam, 5 RBI sinks SFC

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2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-San Diego Section Championships

 

 

East County Sports.com

Benji Molina: 5 RBI on trile, grand slam

Division 2
Christian 8, Santa Fe Christian 2
At Greenfield: Christian High senior Benji Molina slugged a grand slam and a triple,good for five RBI, as the hostPatriots raced to an 8-0 cushion to boat-race Santa Fe Christian, 8-2, in Friday’s winners bracket final of the CIFSDS Division 2 tournament.

Christian, the top-seed, secures two opportunities to win just once next week to gain a berth out of the upper bracket and iton the section championship contest. Helix is in the same situation in the ower bracket after rallying  past Mission ills, 7-5.

The Patriots offense scored over four straigt innings, ignited bya an RBI double by Walker Kane in the second inning.

An inning later, Molina muscelled a triple — a rarity at Christian’s home field — tp deep center, ringing home Julian Morones for a 2-0 lead.

However, Molina gained elevation on his next bomb to center in the third, clearing the fence for a grand slam. Also scoring were Xander Molina, Caleb Brierley and Kane.

Meanwhile, Patriots pitcher was able to breeze with the huge advantage, as freshman starter Talon Brown tossed 5,1 solid innings, only coming out after losing his shutout bid.

Kane and Roman Gustin did the mop-up duty, leaving the pitching staff to be fully ready in next week’s potential run to the title game.

Kane joined the Molina brothers with two hits each.

Christian (20-9-1), which casptured its 20th victory for the fourth time insix seasons since the pandemic, waits for the winner between Santa Fe Cgristian (16-13) and Grossmont, which took the challenger bracket finale at University City, 4-3, with a tie-breaking run in the sixth

Ramona’s Melendez also garners 5 RBI

Dividsion 3
Ramona 8, at Palo Verde Valley 4
At Blythe, Calif.: Powered by five RBI by senior Cal Melendez, the Ramona Bulldogs moved within one game of playing for a second consecutvie CIFSDS championshipson Friday (May 22).

The defending Division 4 titlists, which were elevated this season,moved within touch of a Division 3 crown following a longest road-trip possible in the second and downing host Palo Verde Valley, 8-4, along the Colorado River.

Info: Drive 10 miles north from the school, and you’ll be midway beteen Yuma, Ariz., and the Nevada state line.

Following several lead changes, the ballclubs were even at 4-all through the fifth inning. But in the sixth, the Dawgs took command with a four-run outburst to double the score on the host Yellow Jackets.

Following a sacrifice fly by Alex Wilson to send home Connor Schwettman to take the lead for keeps, Melendez then capped his huge afternoon.

Melendez launched a three-run homer ro left field, also scoring Derek Taylor and Blake Hollopeter.

Earlier, Melendez, the third baseman, offered his own sacrifice fly, plus an RBI single on another drive to left.

The ead was enough for Dawgs pitcher Noah Bedia to fire a complete game on just 82 pitches. Bedia wasaided by an inning-ending double play in the sixth, turned by Hollopeter, the shortstop.

Taylor, the second baseman, batted 3-for-5 and scored each time, while driving in a run.

Ramona (21-8) will meet the Saturday winner between the Jackets (22-6-1) and La Jolla. The Vikings (16-15) won their challenger bracket contest over Rancho Buena Vista, 6-5 in 8 innings, to assure a non-losing season for the folks from Jewel City.

— Nick Pellegrino

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