Oilers Force Gladiators Into Submission With 13-6 Victory In Regular Season Finale
Oilers match season-high with 15 hits and score in four different innings to continue red-hot hitting May
The Huntington Beach Oilers (24-4) finish the regular season on a five-game winning streak, courtesy of a 13-6 non-league win versus the Gahr Gladiators (16-12), Wednesday afternoon from Gahr High School. The Oilers secured their best regular season record since 2021, when they finished 23-4, ranking 8th in the state of California.
After falling behind 2-0 for the second consecutive game in the first inning, the Oilers jumped back into the action in the second as they sent 12 batters to the plate (eight reached consecutively with one out) and cashed in with six runs on five hits, two walks and two hit by pitches. This performance became the second-highest scoring second inning of 2025, nearly matching the seven run inning back on April 10 against Collierville at the NHSI Tournament.
Following this swing of momentum, starting pitcher Tyler Bellerose locked in on the bump, completing the next three innings with ease, shutting out the Gladiators offense with only a hit by pitch and walk allowed. The senior right-hander would eventually take the win (his fifth this year) in this game as he finished with four innings, two unearned runs, one hit, one walk and three strikeouts.
The Oilers sprinkled in solo runs in the fourth (CJ Weinstein Sac Fly) and fifth (Jayton Greer Single) to increase their lead to 8-2. However, Gahr would find their fitting against the Oilers bullpen, racking up a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth to narrow the gap to 8-6. Without hesitation, the bottom of the Huntington Beach batting order set the table for the top four hitters as Jason Dunham led off the seventh with a single, improving to 3-for-4 on the afternoon, for his first three-hit game of the season. They knocked in a total of five runs in the frame with key contributions from Trent Grindlinger (Hit By Pitch), Ethan Porter (Single), Jared Grindlinger (Fielders Choice), Dane Cunningham (Sac Fly) and Matt Haidl (Single).
With a 13-6 cushion, reliever Steel Kurtz, who had not seen action since April 12, kept the Gladiators off the board by evading two runners in scoring position with two outs. Kurtz keeps his ERA spotless in five appearances during the regular season.
Today's win solidifies the Oilers as a potential top four seed in the CIF Division 1 Playoff bracket that will be revealed either Sunday, May 11 or Monday, May 12. They also finish the year outscoring opponents 174-70 (+104 differential) with a 11-2 (.846) mark as the designated home team and 13-2 (.867) as the designated road team.
Oilers Scoring Plays:
Top 2: CJ Weinstein Singles to CF, Ethan Porter Scores (2-1 GG)
Top 2: Jason Dunham Singles to CF, CJ Weinstein Scores (2-2 TIE)
Top 2: Trevor Goldenetz Singles to LF, Sol Moriyama Scores (3-2 HB)
Top 2: Jayton Greer Hit By Pitch, Owen Bone Scores (4-2 HB)
Top 2: Trent Grindlinger Walks, Jason Dunham Scores (5-2 HB)
Top 2: Ethan Porter Singles, Trevor Goldenetz Scores (6-2 HB)
Top 4: CJ Weinstein Sac Fly, Trent Grindlinger Scores (7-2 HB)
Top 5: Jayton Greer Singles to CF, Matt Haidl Scores (8-2 HB)
Top 7: Trent Grindlinger Hit By Pitch, Jason Dunham Scores (9-6 HB)
Top 7: Ethan Porter Singles, Trevor Goldenetz Scores (10-6 HB)
Top 7: Jared Grindlinger Fielder's Choice, Charlie Henderson Scores (11-6 HB)
Top 7: Dane Cunningham Sac Fly, Trent Grindlinger Scores (12-6 HB)
Top 7: Matt Haidl Infield Single, Jared Grindlinger Scores on Error (13-6 HB)
Stars of the Game:
Trevor Goldenetz: 3-4, RBI, 2 R
Ethan Porter: 3-3, 2 RBI, R
Trent Grindlinger: 0-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
CJ Weinstein: 1-2, 2 RBI, R
Jayton Greer: 1-3, 2 RBI
Tyler Bellerose: 4 IP, 0 ER, 3 K (W)
Steel Kurtz: 1 IP, 0 ER
The Oilers now await for the CIF Division 1 Bracket to be released to find out who they will play in Round 1. The game will be either May 15 or 16 in what should be a projected home game. More details will follow in the coming days. You'll be able to listen to all the playoff action on hbhsathletics.mixlr.com with the "Voice of the Oilers" Dominick Lorenz, beginning with the pregame show at 3:00 PM, followed by first pitch at 3:15 PM (projected times).
LISTEN TO HUNTINGTON BEACH VS. GAHR GLADIATORS HIGHLIGHTS HERE (CLICK IMAGE BELOW):
