Fifth Inning Collapse Sends Oilers To First Loss
A home run and four no-hit innings on the bump isn’t enough to tame Trailblazers who score five late unanswered runs
The Huntington Beach Oilers (1-1-1) fall for the first time in 2026 to the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers (2-1) by the final of 5-2, Tuesday afternoon from M.J. Siegel Field on the campus of Sierra Canyon High School. This is the first regular season non-league loss for Huntington Beach since April 11, 2025 when they lost a heartbreaker to Trinity Christian Academy in the semifinals of the NHSI Tournament.
Jared Grindlinger was the star of the show, making his first appearance on the mound since reclassifying as a senior (2026) last Thursday. The southpaw stayed dialed in throughout his outing, completing four no-hit frames and collecting five strikeouts. Three of the five punch outs were in the second inning as the side was retired all swinging. In just two outings this year, he set season-highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.
Grindlinger got help from his offense in the first inning before he even threw a pitch as third baseman Dane Cunningham delivered his first hit, home run and run batted in of the season courtesy of a two-run home run to right field.
Sierra Canyon would capitalize on the Oilers bullpen in the fifth as they tagged right-hander Mason Tapia for four runs (two earned) with the game-tying hit being a two-run double up the ski ball hill in right-center field by CJ Garrett. The last of the four runs scored via a fielder's choice where the Oilers nearly turned a 6-4-3 double play until second baseman Sol Moriyama had his foot taken under him from a late slide that caused an errant throw to first.
Besides back-to-back two-out singles in the fifth by Grindlinger and Owen Bone, the Oilers only had a runner reach second base once following the Cunningham home run. The Trailblazers would add a run in the sixth to advance to a 5-2 lead, but reliever Steel Kurtz came in to toss a clean inning in his first appearance of the season with a pair of strikeouts.
With no rally in the seventh, the Oilers succumbed to the late Trailblazers rally and lose by the final of 5-2. This is the first loss this season when the Oilers score first in a contest. Last year the Oilers went 17-3 (10-1 on the road) when scoring the game's first run. Also, scoring two or less runs rarely occurs with Huntington Beach. In 2025 it happened on four occasions with one win in that type of situation (April 4 @ Corona Del Mar).
Oilers Scoring Plays:
Top 1: Dane Cunningham Home Run to RF, Owen Bone Scores (2-0 HB)
Stars of the Game:
Jared Grindlinger: 4 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Dane Cunningham: 2-Run HR
Sol Moriyama: Extends hitting streak to 3 games
Steel Kurtz: 1 IP, 0 ER, 2 K
The Oilers will get the remainder of the week off as they get set to head back towards the valley next Tuesday, March 3 versus the Harvard Westlake Wolverines at 2:30 PM from O'Malley Family Field. You'll be able to listen to all the action on hbhsathletics.mixlr.com with the "Voice of the Oilers" Dominick Lorenz, beginning with the pregame show at 2:15 PM, followed by first pitch at 2:30 PM (projected times).