SANTA ANA >> When the 2022 high school baseball season got underway, Huntington Beach coach Benji Medure figured offense would be the team’s strength.
As the season unfolded, however, the majority of the Oilers’ victories came in close, low-scoring affairs.
Then, from late April through the playoffs, the Oilers have displayed the power Medure always knew they had.
Huntington Beach’s latest offensive surge came in a 12-5 victory over Foothill in the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs Friday at Foothill High School.
Huntington Beach’s Tony Martinez slides safely into third base during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Foothill on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Ramon Ramirez hits the ball during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Mathew Lopez pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game at Foothill High School on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Aiden Taurek hits an over-the-fence homerun during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal home game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Aiden Taurek gets love from his teammates after hitting a homerun during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal home game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Trent Grindlinger hits a double during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Foothill on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Ralph Velazquez gets love from his teammates after hitting a homerun during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal home game against Foothill on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Gabriel Garcia pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill second baseman Andrew Parker tags out Huntington Beach’s Bradley Navarro before making the throw to first during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game between the two teams on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s star center fielder Austin Overn hits the ball during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach second baseman Brian Trujillo tags out Foothill’s Pedro Hernandez before making the throw to first during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game between the two teams on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Dean Carpentier slides safely into second base, in time to avoid a tag from Foothill’s Brady Schrank, during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game between the two teams on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Ty Cowley pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Cameron Kessel pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Brady Schrank pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Foothill’s Brady Schrank pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game against Huntington Beach on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Jay Schulze slides safely into second base, in time to avoid a tag from Foothill’s Brady Schrank, during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game between the two teams on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Mathew Lopez pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game at Foothill High School on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Jack Smith pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game at Foothill High School on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Huntington Beach’s Mathew Lopez pitches during a CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinal game at Foothill High School on Friday, May 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
The Oilers (21-8) will host Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the semifinals Tuesday afternoon.
After a bye in the first round of the playoffs, the Oilers have scored a total of 25 runs in two playoff games and 57 runs over their past five games overall.
Five of the Oilers’ 10 hits Friday against the Knights (20-10) were for extra bases, including a three-run home run by Dean Carpenter and a three-run homer by Ralph Velazquez, who finished with five RBIs.
“That was the one thing I thought we were going to be able to do is score a lot of runs,” Medure said. “It was only a matter of time before these guys started to hit, so now’s it’s starting to happen at the right time.”
Carpenter’s shot came in the top of the first inning and was a sign of what was to come for the Oilers.
A two-run single from Velazquez in the second made the score 5-0, and the Oilers added one more run in third on Jackson Brummett’s sacrifice fly, which scored Trent Grindlinger.
In the Knights’ half of the third, Aiden Taurek belted a three-run home run to cut the Oilers’ lead in half.
But the Oilers weren’t close to being done, adding a run in the fourth and a run in the fifth before Velazquez’s homer highlighted a four-run sixth.
“I was looking for something off-speed and he hung a changeup right down the middle and I took advantage of it,” Velazquez said.
The offensive standouts for the Oilers included Grindlinger, who scored three runs, and Brad Navarro, who went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
When the Oilers stole a base and attempted to sacrifice a runner to third with a seven-run lead in the seventh, it drew a negative reaction from some Foothill coaches and fans.
CIF-SS baseball playoffs: Tuesday’s scores, updated pairings for the quarterfinals
The Oilers blew a nine-run lead earlier in the season and weren’t going to take any chances against a Foothill team with a strong lineup, Medure said.
“It’s always that unwritten rule of when do you start to shut it down,” Medure said. “They thought it is seven. I think it’s 10. I’m not going to take any chances in a playoff game.”
