Oaks Christian, Hueneme advance to CIF-SS baseball championship games

From staff reports
·2 min read

The Oaks Christian School and Hueneme High baseball teams earned wins on the road Tuesday in CIF-Southern Section semifinal games.

Oaks Christian rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning and held on to beat host Newport Harbor 3-2 to reach the Division 3 championship game.

In the decisive sixth, Elijah Clayton singled and stole second, scoring on an RBI single by Christopher Tampoya. Thomas Farmer ripped an RBI double to left-center to tie the game and Royce Clayton Jr. put the Lions ahead with a single off the pitcher's glove.

Junior Jaden Onaca made the lead stand up by finishing a complete-game performance, allowing five hits and one earned while striking out seven.

Oaks Christian (20-11) will face La Quinta at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at 4 p.m. It will be the Lions' first trip to a CIF-SS baseball final since 2013, when they won the Division 4 title behind ace pitcher Phil Bickford, who is now a reliever for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Down 4-1 at Santiago of Garden Grove, Hueneme stormed back with three runs in the top of the sixth inning and four runs in the top of the seventh en route to an 8-4 win to punch its ticket to the Division 7 championship game.

Luis Cervantez finished 3 for 3 with a double and three RBIs, David Marquez went 3 for 4 with RBI and Chris Rodriguez hit a solo home run for the Vikings. Freshman Koa Cunningham allowed just one hit in four scoreless innings of relief to earn the win on the mound.

Hueneme (18-9) will play Baldwin Park (19-11) at Cal State Fullerton on Friday at 1 p.m. The Vikings last reached a CIF-SS baseball final in 1979, losing to El Segundo in the Division 4 championship game.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Oaks Christian, Hueneme advance to CIF-SS baseball championship games