FULLERTON – Sunny Hills sophomore shortstop Niko Mendez was moved by what had just happened.
“This is what I’ve been hoping for since I was a little kid,” he said.
What happened was Sunny Hills beat Fullerton 8-7 on Tuesday at Sunny Hills High to clinch a share of the Freeway League baseball championship.
Sunny Hills’ Chris Cornelius (10) celebrates with teammate Matthew Hou (27) after Hou scored against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton catcher Nate Norman (7) tags out Sunny Hills’ Bohdi Faulkner (1) during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton’s Drake Harris (48) slides in to third ahead of Sunny Hills’ Jack Bender (11) during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ Darian Choi (7) delivers a pitch against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton’s and Sunny Hills’ pitcher Chris Cornelius (10) and first baseman Aaron Ramirez (5) celebrate their win over Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ celebrates their win over Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton’s Matt Kim (17) goes after a throw to second base as Sunny Hills’ Aaron Ramirez (5) tags the base during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ Tyler Simkins (6) is congratulated after scoring against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton’s Zach Fany (7) heads toward third before scoring against Sunny Hills during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ Aaron Ramirez (5) high-fives teammate Jack Bender (11) after scoring against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton’s AJ Hernandez (3) delivers a pitch against Sunny Hills during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ Choi (7) celebrates scoring against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton’s EJ Ayala delivers a pitch against Sunny Hills during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ pitcher Chris Cornelius (10) delivers a pitch against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fiullerton’s Andrew Violet (24) gets caught in a pickle with Sunny Hills’ Matthew Hou (27) and Jack Bender (11) during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ Mitch Rajcic (8) celebrates a double next to Fullerton’s Zach Fany (7) during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sunny Hills’ Brayden Chen (26) delivers a pitch against Fullerton during their Freeway League game in Fullerton, CA, on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Sunny Hills defeated Fullerton, 8 to 7. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The last time the Lancers won a baseball league championship was before Mendez was a little kid. Long before. A banner in the Sunny Hills baseball clubhouse includes years of the program’s league championships.
The most recent year on it: 1991.
Mendez was 4 for 4 Tuesday, and the Lancers’ Chris Cornelius had two hits, three RBIs and pitched a scoreless seventh inning. Jack Bender had two hits and Darian Choi drove in the winning run.
Sunny Hills got a great pitching performance at a crucial time. Fullerton had scored seven runs by the time Lancers sophomore Brayden Chen took the mound with one out and a runner on first in the fourth inning.
Chen from there retired nine in order, seven by strikeout, and allowed only one runner, a hit-by-pitch in the seventh inning, in 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Sunny Hills is 11-3 in league with one more league game, Thursday at Fullerton.
Fullerton is 10-4 in league and can make it a co-championship with a win Thursday.
The Lancers (17-10 overall) also defeated the Indians 8-2 on March 16.
Fullerton (19-7) had its share of offensive stars Tuesday. Nate Norman hit a first-inning solo home run, Drake Harris hit a double and a triple, and Andrew Violet had two hits including a double.
Sunny Hills had 14 hits, Fullerton had 10 and a few errors helped move runners around the bases. Nine hits went for extra bases.
Lancers coach Ryan Bateman anticipated a high-scoring game.
“We knew Fullerton could hit and we both can supply some power,” Bateman said. “I like our chances with our pitchers any time they take the mound.”
Fullerton took a 1-0 lead on Norman’s first-inning homer. Cornelius hit a two-run double in the bottom of the inning for a 2-1 Lancers lead.
The Indians scored two on three hits in the second inning to go ahead 3-2. Sunny Hills batted around in their four-run second inning for a 6-3 lead. Fullerton tied it with three runs in the third and took a 7-6 lead in the top of the fourth.
Orange County baseball standings: Saturday, April 23
A single by Cornelius drove in Lex Hou to tie the score in the fourth inning. Bohdi Faulkner doubled in the fifth inning and scored on Choi’s line-drive single through the middle for an 8-7 lead.
The CIF Southern Section baseball playoff brackets will be released Monday. Sunny Hills will play in Division 5, and Fullerton will be in Division 4.
