CIF Championships: Patrick Henry wins on game for the ages

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: May 30, 2026

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BASSBALL
CIF-San Diego Swction Championships

East County Sports.com

Open Division – Championshio
Patrick Henry 7, Eastlake 6

ALCALA PARK — In a contest with neither team was refusing to lose, the Patrick Henry Patriots scored four times in the top of the sdeventh, then turned a game-ending double play to captured the CIFSDS Open Division championship with a 7-6 decision over the Eastlake Titans in Saturday’s f(May 30) finale at USD’s Fowley Field,

Eastlakw was three outs away from the crown, but the Patiots piecded tigether four hits to tie the contest, then an error loaded the bases, with a walk to Ian Brooke pushing across the go-ahead run.

The Titans answered by placing their first two batters inbase, =advancing them 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt.

Then the fun began.

A sacrifice fly to left field could’ve again tied the contest. However, Patrick Henry left fielder Tico Stepner — instead of firing the ball home — sent his upexpected throw to second base, where shortstop Lukas Oquendo,made the tag for the unusualy, yet game-ending double play.

Stepnerwas been a starter for less than a month, moving into the line-up on May6 with two weeks left in the regular season.

Early on

The Patriots owned lead of 1-0, but tied, then 3-1, yet were caught again.

Eastlake then scored three times in the sixth, giving them a streakof five unaswred runs to take a 6-3 advantage.

The o-ahead run saw Tamza “Palm Tree” attem t
line a double to the gap in left-center field for a 4-3 lead.

Two moew runs came home on a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch, leaving Eastlake justthee outs away from the title.

However, Patrick Henry, after sweeping top-seed Cathedral Catholc inn reach the finalem were far from being finished.’

In the seventh, the Patriots sent 11 batters to the plate to re-gain the lead.

The first sign of trouble came when Parks Kronk- Hawley and Jayden Goldman both accepted a leadoff walk on four pitches each.

Wyatt Lo followed with hisusual “team first” ground ball to the right side, moving both runners into scoring nposition.

A wild pitch brought home Bronk-Hawley, tjem Sal Gagkiano then walked.

A pop up was not declared an infield fly because the ball was in foul territory, but the catch left Eastlake just one out away.

The margin then came down to a final pitch, but Alex Mestman lined a 3-2 pitch to right field for an RBI. followed by Oquendo;s grounder to left to knot the ballgame at 6-all.

A ground ball by James Gunn was booted to re-load the bases, followed by a walk to Brooke, which turned into the eventual game-wining RBI.

For Pstrick Henry (24-9 overall). the pitching win went to Jimmy Gunn,n relief of starter Tyson Bobo.

This was the Patriots third final appearance in four season. They fell in last season’s Open Division final to Granite Hills, then dropped the 2023 Division 1 final to Santana.

Eastlake (24-7), champions of the Metro Mesa League, saw J,R, COnero collect two hits, while frosh Ethan Orozco drove in two runs to lead the Titans.

Both ballclubs will advance to next week’s CIF Southern California regional quarterfinals.

— Nick Pellegrino