PHOTOS: Mater Dei falls short against West Ranch in CIF Division 2 final pitcher’s duel

Mater Dei players cheer for their teammates as the Monarchs try to rally in the seventh inning (PHOTOS: Jacob Ramos, For OC Sports Zone).

.In a thrilling CIF Division 2 championship baseball game against West Ranch Saturday night, Mater Dei missed an opportunity for the school’s first baseball CIF title since 2010 losing 2-1 at Goodwin Field at Cal State Fullerton.

The Monarchs fell in a pitchers’ duel between two NCAA Division I-committed starters.

To see the slide show, click on the first photo:

Losing the battle by a slight margin was Mater Dei’s Brandon Thomas, who will pitch at Fresno State in the fall. On the opposite end, recording the win was West Ranch’s Hunter Manning, who is signed to UC Irvine and will play there beginning in fall 2026.

Despite the loss, Thomas threw well. The senior only allowed two runs in his six innings, with one being unearned.

Throughout the night, he pitched to soft contact, only allowing five hits scattered across the game. Postgame, Mater Dei Coach Richard Mercado sang his ace’s praises for his performance Saturday.

“Brandon did what he normally does. He pounds the strike zone. Unfortunately, we had some miscues that just kind of led to both their runs,” Mercado said. “I’m just proud of [Thomas]. He gives us a chance. It’s all we ever asked him to do, and that’s all he ever delivered for us. 

Early this month, Thomas announced on X that he would be continuing his career at Fresno State. Mercado also spoke about the star right-hander’s commitment postgame.

“He’s a fantastic human being and he’s a great kid. He treats his teammates with respect. He cares about people, cares about the school, and on top of all that stuff, he’s a pretty damn good baseball player,” Mercado said.

Despite the phenomenal pitching, defense gave both teams scares in Saturday’s matchup. After trailing for the majority of the game, Mater Dei scored its only run in the seventh inning after an error allowed Thomas to reach base. A pair of singles then extended the inning, and scored Thomas for what would be Mater Dei’s sole run of the evening.

It was Brady Guth who had the hit of the evening for the Monarchs (19-14) driving a single into center field to score Thomas. Thomas then lit up the Monarch dugout and fanbase, yelling in excitement at Guth standing on first base.

In addition to the West Ranch misplay, Mater Dei had a pair of crucial errors, one of which proved to be a deciding factor Saturday, eventually leading to an unearned run for the Wildcats (25-9).

The Monarchs are a relatively young team, only carrying nine seniors this season and at one point starting four sophomores regularly. Mercado spoke about the approach for his program with such a young team playing in such huge moments.

“They looked a little nervous in the moment, and I’m not surprised, but this is a big moment for anybody,” Mercado said. “[But] we’re just playing a game and the last part of the game was great, man. They competed their hearts out and just came up a little bit short tonight.”

Mercado offered more thoughts on the feeling after coming so close to a CIF title.

“Anytime you lose a one-run game, you know it’s going to sting,” Mercado said. “I feel bad for the boys, because, man, they really compete. They’ve done it all season, they fought back tooth and nail, and I think they showed a lot of heart tonight, so I’m proud of them.”

Mercado also confirmed that his team will make an appearance at the upcoming CIF So Cal regional playoffs, beginning next week. Throughout his postgame media time, he beamed with pride about his team and the players’ efforts Saturday and during the season as a whole.

“It’s a great experience for us to be back in the [CIF] finals for some since 2010, so, I’m just excited for these guys. I’m super proud of them,” Mercado said with a smile.