Scripps Ranch wins, reaches SoCal semis

By Ramon Scott
Updated: July 26, 2026

2026 LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

Thirteen-hit attack gives SRLL 2-0 state tournament start; Glendora awaits Tuesday

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

ALISO VIEJO — Scripps Ranch built another early lead Sunday, then demonstrated it could withstand a very different kind of test.

Jonathan Cornelissen recorded two strikeouts in the sixth inning and induced the final groundout with two runners aboard as Scripps Ranch held off Ladera Ranch National, 8-5, in the Southern California Little League State Tournament at Woodfield Park.

The victory moves Scripps Ranch to 2-0 in the tournament and sends the Section 6 champions into Tuesday’s winner’s-bracket semifinal against Glendora American.

Scripps Ranch collected 13 hits and scored during each of the first three innings, building a 6-0 lead before Ladera began its comeback.

Ethan Lum and Luke Koba opened the game with consecutive singles. Cornelissen followed with an RBI single to center that scored Lum, and Ben Caballero brought home Koba with a fielder’s choice for a 2-0 advantage.

Scripps added three runs in the second.

Colton Hansen reached to begin the rally, and Lum singled down the right-field line to drive him home. Joshua Hornyak drew a bases-loaded walk, and Cornelissen added another run-scoring single as the lead grew to 5-0.

Hansen was hit by a pitch in the third, and Noah Saldivar doubled hard into center field. Carson Gloff followed with an RBI groundout that scored Hansen and gave Scripps Ranch a six-run advantage.

Lum started on the mound and worked 1⅓ scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out two. Koba entered during a second-inning threat and prevented Ladera from scoring.

Ladera Ranch National finally broke through when Cameron Siderius hit a solo home run to center in the fourth.

The Section 10 champions then scored four times in the fifth, taking advantage of three unearned runs to reduce Scripps Ranch’s lead to 7-5.

Scripps answered with an important insurance run in the sixth. Hornyak singled into left field to score Lum, restoring a three-run cushion.

Ladera threatened once more in the bottom of the sixth, putting two runners aboard with one out. Cornelissen responded with his second strikeout of the inning before fielding a ground ball and throwing to first for the final out.

Lum went 3-for-4 from the top of the order. Hornyak and Cornelissen each drove home two runs, while Hansen and Saldivar collected multiple hits.

Koba worked 3⅓ innings in relief, allowing five runs but only two earned. Cornelissen secured the final four outs as Scripps completed its second state-tournament victory.

Tournament impact

Scripps Ranch is no longer merely the team responsible for eliminating the tournament favorite from the winner’s bracket.

One day after defeating Eastvale 5-1 behind Hornyak’s complete game and three-run triple, Scripps produced 13 hits against a rested Ladera Ranch National team and survived its first substantial late-game challenge of the tournament.

The Section 6 champions have now defeated two teams that entered state play with a combined postseason record of 12-1. Eastvale arrived with a 99-1 scoring advantage, while Ladera had swept three sectional games after surviving a demanding district tournament.

Sunday’s victory also revealed greater offensive depth. Lum reached repeatedly from the leadoff position, Cornelissen delivered two run-scoring hits, and six different Scripps Ranch players contributed to the scoring.

The fifth inning exposed an area that will require attention. A 6-0 lead narrowed to two runs as Ladera generated baserunners and capitalized on defensive mistakes. Against the strongest remaining teams, Scripps cannot expect every early advantage to withstand that kind of inning.

Its response, however, was significant. Hornyak provided an immediate insurance run, and Cornelissen finished the game with the tying run waiting in the on-deck area.

Scripps Ranch has now shown two paths to victory: pitching and late offense against Eastvale, then lineup depth and late-game resilience against Ladera.

Ladera’s tournament debut ended in defeat, but its four-run fifth demonstrated why it cannot be dismissed in the elimination bracket. After falling behind by six runs, the Section 10 champions forced Scripps to use multiple pitchers and carried the potential tying run into the final inning.

Looking ahead

Scripps Ranch receives Monday off before facing Glendora American in Tuesday’s winner’s-bracket semifinal at 6:30 p.m.

Glendora advanced with a 6-3 victory over Rolling Hills after Matthew Marquez broke a sixth-inning tie with a three-run home run. The Section 3 champions possess one of the tournament’s deepest offensive résumés and scored 54 runs across five sectional games.

The matchup places Scripps against another power-oriented lineup, but the day of rest provides an important opportunity to reset its pitching staff. The winner will advance to Thursday’s winner’s-bracket final and move within one victory of the championship series at Al Houghton Stadium.

Ladera Ranch National faces defending Southern California champion Golden Hill in an elimination game Monday at 6:30 p.m.

Golden Hill recovered from its opening loss to Sweetwater Valley by defeating Rolling Hills 11-1 in four innings. Ladera must now respond against a program that has won five of its last six elimination games dating to sectional play.

Two San Diego County teams remain unbeaten. Scripps Ranch and Sweetwater Valley are both 2-0 and have advanced to opposite winner’s-bracket semifinals, placing each within two victories of reaching the championship series.