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CIF So. Cal. Quarters: Helix’s Watkins slams in 11-run explosion

2026 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-Southern California Regional – Quarterfinals

 

East County Sports.com

LA MESA – In a touch of role reversal, East County home run champion Angel Watkins “only” slapped a game-tying single, then teammate Isaac Fierro bombed a two-run, go-ahead home run to Lowell Street beyond right field, starting a huge sixth-inning rally by the Helix Highlanders.

Hold it!

Angel Watkins: six RBI in sixth inning

The Scotties batted around in the sixth, giving Watkins another chance… and he took advantage.

Watkins smashed his 10th home run of the season —
a grand slam for six RBI in the inning — to grab a share of the San Diego Section lead. hs tidal wave of runs finally subsided after 11 runs came home, giving Helix a 13-4 conquest of the Laguna Beach Breakers in the quarterfinals of the CIF-Southern California regional held Tuesday (June 2).

Watkins is tied with Jayce Costephens (Oceanside) and Owen Glick (Rancho Bernardo). However, since Watkins and the Scotties advance to the Southland Semifinals, the senior receives at least one more opportunity to become the outright CIFSDS leader.

BREAKING NEWS
Helix (22-11 overall), the fourth seed, will receive an unexpected home game in Thursday’s semifinals

Top-seeded Mt. Carmel didn’t simply lose, they were shutout by Kaiser, 2-0. meaning the eighth-seeded Cats (20-14) will need to travel from Fontana for the Division 3 Final Four contest.

The Right Way to Play

Historically, the home run feat is impressive, but Watkins did on his first trip to the plate in the sixth was more important to the inning.

Helix was trailing, 4-2, after Laguna Beach tallied single runs in the fifth and sixth.

Watkins came to the plate with two runners in scoring position after a passed ball. But instead of the over-swinging nature by some sluggers, Watkins took an outside pitch to right field for a line single — no wonder many scouts are interested in his services — allowing Maddox Richardson and Randy Perez to knot the ballgame.

Jaxon Gottlieb bunted Watkins to second base, but Fierro bombed his two-run homer for what proved to be the game-winning RBI.

Breakers pitching then broke completely.

Jake Johnson, single; Josh Rivera, hit by pitch; Kei Smith, walk to load the bases.

Ben Williams blasted a two-run double for an 8-4 advantage. Romeo Briones, the 10th batter of the onslaught, singles for a 9-4 cushion.

Pinch-hitter Maddox Richardson walked to reload the bases… and here comes Watkins, still with only one down. With the count at 1-1, Watkins fouled off three straight pitches. He did not foul off the ensuing delivery — grand slam.

Laguna Beach (20-13) received a solo home run from junior Dylan Yensho in the sixth for a short-lived 4-2 lead.

–– Nick Pellegrino

Scoreboard

Elsewhere in Division 3, CIF-San Diego Section schools went 3-0 at sixth-seeded Westview, winning at third-seeded Carson, 7-1

Division 3
(8) Fontana-Kaiser 2, at (1) Mt. Carmel 0
(4) Helix 3, (5) Laguna Beach 4
(6) Westview 7. at (3) Carson 1

Division 1

Huntington Beach 10, Patrick Henry 3
SAN CARLOS — In a day of upsets where the top-seeded ballclub in the top four divisions were all upset, third-seeded Patrick Henry also fell in a 10-3 decision to the Huntington Beach Oilers.

Meanwhile, also in Division 1, one of the No. 8 seeds to win was Cathedral Catholic, as the Dons hoped for yet another rematch with the Patriots. CCHS topped St. John Bosco, 4-2.

Patrick Henry(24-10), the CIF-San Dego Seciton champions, mustered just seven hits, as the Oilers utilized a “bullpen” game, with four of their five pitchers going just one inning each.

Meanwhile, Huntington Beach just kept extending its lead to 3-0, 6-0 and 10-1.

Alex Mestman and Jeremiah Stepner had the lone RBII for the Pats. Max Ginson sluffed a double and scored.

For the Oilers, Dane Cunningham and Jared Grindlinger — both seniors — each posted a home run and double, but Cunningham’s hits were worth four RBI.

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