PHOTOS: La Habra’s unforgettable baseball season ends with one more title

 La Habra players celebrate after winning the regional title Saturday. (Photos Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone)

Josh Castillo pitched six and1/3 strong innings and La Habra scored three runs in the fifth inning to comeback and defeat Christian of El Cajon 4-2 and capture the CIF Southern California Regional Division V Baseball Championship Saturday afternoon at La Habra High.

The top-seeded Highlanders (25-10) snapped the Patriots 18-game winning streak and earned the school’s first regional championship. La Habra won the CIF Division 6 title last week – also a first in school history – by beating Elsinore 8-3. (Click here for photos and stories from that game). Christian, which won the City League in San Diego this season, finished 27-5.

Castillo gave up three hits, two runs, struck out five and walked four but seemed to tire late in the game.

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“I was nervous going into the game, similar to last week’s game, but I settled down,” said Castillo. “I struggled in the fifth inning, but I came back strong in the sixth. I wanted to finish. I didn’t want to come out of the game but my pitch count was way up. This was a really good match up. Yesterday at practice, we all realized this is our last game. It’s great to out this way.”

Castillo was relieved by Matt Flores with one out in the seventh inning after he struck out a batter and walked a batter. Flores struck out the first batter he faced, then gave up a single to Braeden Ross before striking out Will Carlock to end the game, earn the save and secure the championship for La Habra.  

“I was very nervous when I came in to pitch,” Flores said. “I needed to get a few pitches in to calm down and then I knew I was in control. This championship means everything. It’s the first in school history and all of the kids who come to play here in the future will look up to this team and say, ‘I want to be like them.’”

Two Patriot errors and a David Shackelford two out RBI single that scored Castillo gave the Highlanders a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Castillo was sailing along until he ran into trouble in the fifth. After recording a strikeout on the first batter of the inning, Castillo walked the next two. He then struck out Aston McCurty for the second out. Shane Bailey followed with a single to center.

Shackelford’s throw from center field to the plate looked to be online, however the ball hit the pitching mound and bounced high into the air and up the third base line from the home plate. La Habra catcher Derrick Cruz went into the air to field the throw but collided with pinch runner Brady Bingham. Cruz flipped over on the play, the ball went to the backstop and Bingham scored.

Cruz remained down on the ground as the play continued. Hunter Kaul alertly continued running and scored on the play as well to give Christian a 2-1 lead.

The La Habra trainer came out to treat Cruz following the play. He left the game with an injured wrist and was replaced by Matt Padilla. Both coaches spoke with the umpires following the bang-bang play at the plate, but Bingham’s slide was ruled legal and the Patriots took the lead. 

“It wasn’t a dirty play, that’s baseball,” Cruz said following the game with his left wrist bandaged. “The throw from Shackleford hit the mound and bounced high in the air. I went for the ball and the runner slid and that’s when everything happened. I got turned upside down and landed on my wrist. I’m OK and I couldn’t be happier since we reached our goal.”

Padilla was feeling the pain for his teammate but came in and took over behind the plate.

“I feel for Derrick,” said Padilla. “He didn’t want to come out but he was injured. I knew I had to be ready to come into the game at any time. That’s my job.”

The Highlanders countered quickly in their half of the fifth. Castillo singled and took second and third on passed balls. Flores walked. Jesse Lopez then bunted and Castillo broke for home as third baseman Josh Meekins fielded the ball but his throw to the plate was over the head of the catcher. Castillo scored.

As the play continued, the Patriots throw to third base in an attempt to get Flores was high and the ball got away from the third baseman. Flores, hustling on the play, scored to make it 3-2 La Habra. Matt Coats then added an RBI single to increase the Highlanders lead to 4-2.

“This is the best moment of my life,” said Lopez. “Even when we got down, we all felt like we were still in it. I felt like we got a lot of motivation in the fifth inning on the way we hit and ran the bases.”

La Habra Coach Jack Brooks was emotional with joy following the game.  

“Number 19 (Josh Castillo) was the key to this game,” Brooks said as he nearly broke down. “He’s done it so often for us. In that crazy fifth inning he got us going with a hit and came in and scored on the bunt. He then came back and got them out in order in the sixth. It’s been a long season and we battled all the way. I give all of the credit to the kids. They set the bar high.”

Patriots’ coach Michael Mitchell said his team made too many mistakes.

“The team that makes the fewest mistakes generally wins,” Mitchell said. “Today, we made more mistakes and gave up four unearned runs. It’s that simple. Their pitcher was really impressive. His curve ball was very effective. I felt like we hit a few balls really hard but they died when they got to the outfield. We’re going to be OK, we’re young and I think we’ll be fine.”

—Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone