Huntington Beach wins Boras Classic South tournament with 9-4 win against Mira Costa

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Three weeks ago, the Huntington Beach High baseball team went up against some of the country’s best in North Carolina. Two of the Oilers’ three losses on the year came at the National High School Invitational.

While it’s an honor for the Oilers to play on the national level, Coach Benji Medure believes the best baseball is in Southern California.

For four days, Medure’s Oilers proved they’re the top team at the Boras Classic South.

Huntington Beach won the Southern California tournament on Friday night, beating Manhattan Beach Mira Costa, 9-4, at JSerra.

The Oilers (19-3), ranked No. 5 in the state by CalHiSports.com, will represent the South for the first time at the Boras Classic final at UCLA on May 6. They knocked off the defending state tournament champion to advance to face No. 20 San Jose Bellarmine Prep, which won the Boras Classic up north.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Medure said. “They had some good swings on a pitcher that was really deceptive. He was tall.”

The Oilers continued their assault on the baseball. A day after hitting five home runs and producing 12 hits in an 11-9 semifinal win against Corona Santiago, Huntington Beach collected 12 hits (seven doubles and one home run).

Huntington Beach’s Cory Moore hit a home run again, his third home run in two games. The left-handed batter went two for three with three runs batted in and a walk.

Justin Cianca was three for three with two doubles, and Trevor Windisch was two for three with a double and RBI.

Five of Huntington Beach’s doubles came in the top of the fifth inning. Josh Hahn started the double parade, and Windisch and Moore followed up with run-scoring doubles to left field. The Oilers broke the game open, scoring five runs to take a 9-2 lead.

Mira Costa starter James Tullio exited after he hit more batters than he allowed them to hit him in the second inning. Huntington Beach jumped ahead, 3-0, the first two runs coming on Moore’s home run to right field and the third run on Dylan Ramirez’s sacrifice fly.

Tullio led off the second inning by plunking Windisch. After giving up his first hit, the right-hander hit Nick Lopez.

Three pitches later, on a 1-2 count, Cianca doubled down the third-base line. Tullio proceeded to nail Ben McConnell, ending his evening early.

The Oilers tagged Mira Costa (13-8), which only allowed two runs in their first three games in the tournament. One of those runs was in the Mustangs’ impressive 3-1 semifinal win over Orange Lutheran on Thursday. Orange Lutheran was the same program that won the National High School Invitational.

Huntington Beach has one more game this week, its fifth in as many days. The Oilers return to Sunset League action at Newport Harbor Saturday at 11 a.m. Hagen Danner, who played second base on Friday, will catch.

The UCLA signee, who was the tournament MVP, having hit three homers, along with throwing six scoreless innings, striking out 10 and giving up one hit in a start, made some nice plays at second base. The best one involved Danner leaping to snag a line drive, taking a hit away from Kohl Titzler in the second inning.

“Offensively, I think it’s going to help us that we’re playing [on Saturday]. We’re in a good rhythm right now,” said Medure, whose team is atop the league at 7-1. “Defensively, our arms and all that, that’s what’s really going to show [on Saturday]. Hopefully we can just outscore them.”

Boras Classic

South final

Huntington Beach 9, Mira Costa 4

SCORE BY INNINGS

Huntington 031 050 0 – 9 12 1

Mira Costa 010 102 0 – 4 7 3

Moore, Runyan (3), Ramirez (6) and Ortiz; Tullio, Robb (2), Solan (5), Wrigley (7) and Penna. W – Runyan. L – Tullio. 2B – Cianca (HB) 2, Ortiz (HB), Hahn (HB), Windisch (HB), Moore (HB), Runyan (HB). HR – Moore (HB).

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Twitter: @ByDCP