SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO >> Huntington Beach beat JSerra 2-0 in eight innings Saturday in front of a standing-room only crowd at JSerra High to win its first CIF Southern California Regional championship.
Arizona State commit Ralphy Velazquez hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall in the eighth inning to decide the game for Huntington Beach (25-9).
Huntington Beach’s Ralph Velazquez, left, is mobbed by his teammates after hitting a two-run homerun to beat JSerra during the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players run on to the field to celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players pose for a selfie as they celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players gather for a photo as they celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players embrace as they celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach’s Dean Carpentier bunts the ball foul during the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game against JSerra at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra’s Charlie Caruso, right, attempts to break up a double play after being forced out at second base by Brian Trujillo of Huntington Beach in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach’s Jay Schulze, left, scrambles back to third base as JSerra’s Andrew Lamb, right, waits for the throw during the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra’s Hunter Drake, left, helps teammate Owen Glascoe, right, get back on to his feet after chasing a foul ball next to the right field fence in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game against Huntington Beach at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra’s Jonathan Mendez, right, gets safely back to first base as Ralph Velazquez of Huntington Beach waits for the throw from the pitcher in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JSerra players embrace following their 2-0 loss to Huntington Beach in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A throw gets past Huntington Beach’s third baseman Tony Martinez as JSerra’s JJ Hollis, right, slides in safely to third base during the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Huntington Beach won the game 2-0. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“I was going crazy in my mind for sure. I was doing that Carlton Fisk dance to get it over the fence,” Huntington Beach coach Benji Medure said. “We knew if Ralph came up we were going to have a chance.”
The home run was the ninth of the season for Velazquez, which is a team-high.
“We played well in the CIF playoffs and it didn’t go our way but we got a second chance here and we did what we wanted to do,” Velazquez said. “I knew that we had a special team and we went out and did it. It’s a dream come true.”
The Oilers planned for this game Thursday when they did not use senior pitcher Matt Lopez in a 9-2 win over Villa Park in the semifinals.
“I went to my pitching coach and said, ‘We need to win the whole thing for this to be valid. Let’s save Matthew for the championship game,’ ” Medure said. “We have that much faith in him. It’s typical of him to pitch well in big games.”
Lopez was very effective Saturday. The Northern Kentucky signee pitched seven shutout innings, scattered nine hits and had four strikeouts to earn the win.
“The coaches have extreme confidence in all of us and that’s awesome,” Lopez said. “I just wanted to show what I can do and I’m really glad I was able to do that.”
JSerra pitcher and Oregon State signee Tyler Gough was equally dominant. The 6-foot-2 senior pitched six shutout innings, allowed just two hits and had four strikeouts.
Both teams had chances to score throughout the game. Huntington Beach had runners on second and third in the first inning with one out. Gough got a strikeout and an infield pop fly to get out of the inning unscathed.
JSerra third baseman and UC Santa Barbara commit JJ Hollis hit a triple with one out in the sixth inning. On the ensuing play, Lopez fielded a hard line drive for an out and got an infield fly out to keep the shutout intact.
“I was definitely nervous,” Lopez said, “but I had my defense behind me though and had full confidence. We were able to pitch around it and end up with a state title. Can’t ask for much more.”
Huntington Beach baseball overpowers Villa Park in Division I regional semifinals
Huntington Beach turned to UCLA signee Ben Jacobs in the eighth inning. The lefty shut the door to earn the save.
JSerra (25-11) won the Division I regional championship last season and won its first CIF Southern Section championship this season.
JJ Hollis had three hits to lead the JSerra offense with a double and a triple. Vanderbilt signee David Horn pitched the seventh inning in relief for the Lions.
