A Valiant Rally Ends In Extra Innings Heartbreak
Oilers score three in the sixth to tie, but Wolverines celebrate with walk-off win in the eighth
The Huntington Beach Oilers (1-2-1) fall for the second consecutive game, this time to the Harvard-Westlake Wolverines (4-1) by the final score of 4-3, Tuesday afternoon from O'Malley Family Field. This is the first instance of back-to-back losses for the Oilers this season and last since April 23 and 25, 2025 vs. Newport Harbor.
Harvard-Westlake would notch the opening score in the bottom of the first as Ira Rootman laced a Sac-Fly to score James Tronstein and take the advantage over Huntington Beach starter Jared Grindlinger. The senior lefty, making his third appearance of the season, navigated around multiple threats during his outing. He totalled third and two-thirds innings pitched, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and one strikeout.
The Wolverines would balloon their lead to 3-0 in the fourth as a fielding error by Sol Moriyama on a well-placed bunt by Asher Bunnin scored Jake Kim, then a bases loaded walk (on a pitch down the middle) to Ethan Price netted Drew Rico.
A comeback for the Oilers was in store in the sixth as the first four batters reached base with two walks (Grindlinger and Dane Cunningham), one hit (Ely Mason) and a bases-loaded hit by pitch (Owen Bone), getting the Oilers on the board 3-1. This was the first run scored for Huntington Beach since the two-run home run by Cunningham in the first inning last Tuesday at Sierra Canyon (11.1 total innings). With one out, outfielder Maxx Hopkins bounced a chopper over the head of third baseman Louis Lappe, delivering a clutch two-run double that tied the game at 3-3. This was the first hit and run batted in of the season for Hopkins who is playing Varsity for the first time in his high school career.
Reliever Mason Tapia had a bounce back performance out of the bullpen with one and one-third innings pitched, yielding no runs and one strikeout. This appearance lowers his ERA to 3.00 and WHIP to 1.71. Left-hander Tanner Brown, who was battling a double ear infection, came up clutch in the seventh by shutting the door on a two-on, two-out rally, forcing the game to extra innings. The last time the Oilers reached extra innings, they finished in a 5-5 vs. Loyola due to darkness rules.
As the Oilers went silently 1-2-3 in the eighth, Harvard-Westlake would once again pressure Brown with two-on and two-out. This time, outfielder Ethan Price would end the game with a single back up the middle over an outstretched glove by Brown and score William Lynch, who beat the throw home from center. Today's loss is the first time the Oilers have been on the wrong side of a walk-off celebration since April 11, 2025, when Trinity Christian Academy (FL) defeated the Oilers in the semifinals of the NHSI Tournament, 2-1.
Oilers Scoring Plays:
Top 6: Owen Bone Hit By Pitch, Jared Grindlinger Scores (3-1 HW)
Top 6: Maxx Hopkins Doubles to LF, Ely Mason and Dane Cunningham Scores (3-3 TIE)
Stars of the Game:
Jared Grindlinger: 3.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 1 K
Owen Bone: 1-3, RBI - Extends hitting streak to 3 games
Maxx Hopkins: 1-2, 2-RBI Double
Mason Tapia: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 K
The Oilers will get the remainder of the week off once again as non-league play is finished for the next few weeks and Sunset League action gets ready to fire off. Next week, a three-game series against the Edison Chargers that begins on Tuesday, March 10 at 3:15 PM from HBHS Stadium. 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 3:00 PM, followed by first pitch at 3:15 PM (projected times).
LISTEN TO HUNTINGTON BEACH VS. HARVARD-WESTLAKE WOLVERINES HIGHLIGHTS HERE (CLICK IMAGE BELOW):
