Trevor Banning (1) of Santa Margarita, connects with the ball for a grand slam home run in a game against St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High Schoolin Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA — Junior Trevor Banning hit a go-ahead grand slam in the fifth inning Tuesday to give Santa Margarita a 5-2 win over St. John Bosco in the Trinity League opener at Santa Margarita High.
The Eagles (7-2-1, 1-0) trailed 2-1 in the fifth inning and had the bases loaded with two outs against Braves sophomore pitcher Julian Garcia.
Banning, who was 0 for 2 going into the at-bat, hit the ball well over the right field fence to give the Eagles the lead.
Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita steals second base after sliding under the tag by St. John Bosco shortstop Jaden Jackson (2) in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Carlos Barajas (3) of St. John Bosco throws the ball to shortstop Jaden Jackson (2) for a force out on Mason Mautino (10) of Santa Margarita in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Julian Garcia (12) of St. John Bosco pitches against Santa Margarita in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Brody Schumaker (5) of Santa Margarita dives back to first base before St. John Bosco first baseman Zach Woodson (24) can make the pickoff tag in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The St. John Bosco dugout celebrates after scoring two runs to take the lead over Santa Margarita in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Trevor Banning (1) of Santa Margarita, connects with the ball for a grand slam home run in a game against St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School
in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Carlos Barajas (3) of St. John Bosco picks up a grounder in a game against Santa Margarita in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cade Townsend (11) of Santa Margarita pitches against St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita left fielder Mason Mautino (10) holds the ball up to show he caught the ball after making a diving catch for the out on a fly ball hit by Carlos Barajas (3) of St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita left fielder Mason Mautino (10) makes a diving catch for the out on a fly ball hit by Carlos Barajas (3) of St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Santa Margarita’s Trevor Banning (1), center, celebrates with teammates, from left, Gavin Spiridonoff (2), Brody Schumaker (5) and Logan De Groot (20) after scoring on a grand slam home run by Banning in a game against St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School
in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Trevor Banning (1) of Santa Margarita, celebrates as he rounds first base after hitting a grand slam home run in a game against St. John Bosco in a Trinity League baseball game at Santa Margarita Catholic High School
in Rancho Santa Margarita on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“He’s a very good pitcher and the first pitch he painted a fastball on the corner and I tipped my cap to him,” Banning said of Garcia. “Right when I hit it, I knew it was gone. It was one of the hardest balls I’ve ever hit. I didn’t even feel it off the bat.”
“He’s a very underrated player,” Santa Margarita coach Chris Malec said. “He’s a big time athlete and competitor. A lot of people are going to know his name in the future.”
The loss was the first of the season for St. John Bosco (6-1, 0-1).
Santa Margarita went 14-1 last season and won its first Trinity League championship, and ended a 19-year drought since it was the co-champions of the Serra League in 2004.
The Eagles went on to lose to JSerra in last season’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game, but won the CIF SoCal Regional championship.
“You have to fight for every win you can get in this league,” Malec said. “We are a young group and getting acclimated to the Trinity League with a win is huge for us.”
Both starting pitchers allowed baserunners but showed flashes of excellence on the mound.
Garcia had four strikeouts in five innings for the Braves and at one point retired eight Santa Margarita hitters in a row.
Ole Miss signee Cade Townsend got the win for the Eagles. He allowed two runs over five innings with six strikeouts.
“His fastball was electric and his changeup was the best I’ve seen it all year,” Malec said of Townsend.
Santa Margarita scored first when UCLA signee Logan De Groot drove in Brody Schumaker with a double in the first inning.
Schumaker, the son of Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, went 2 for 3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored.
St. John Bosco took the lead in the third with a two-run double by Zach Woodson to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
After Banning’s grand slam, Chris Saucedo pitched two scoreless innings for the Eagles to earn the save. The junior escaped a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning with a soft groundout.
Owen Tomich went 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run for St. John Bosco. Aiden Olguin pitched a perfect inning of relief for the Braves.
The two teams play again Wednesday at St. John Bosco and wrap their season series Friday at Santa Margarita. Junior Ethan Russell will start on the mound Wednesday for the Eagles.
