Pinch Hit Hero; Oilers Rally Late To Stun Gladiators In Regular Season Finale

The Huntington Beach Oilers (21-6-1) complete the regular season on a high note, defeating the Gahr Gladiators (16-10-1) in a contentious head-to-head matchup, 3-2, Tuesday afternoon from HBHS Stadium. For the fifth straight year the Oilers picked up a win against Gahr, improving their overall mark to 10-1 (.909) in recent history.  

Pitching once again led the story of this game as top arms Jared Grindlinger (Tennessee) and Jake Orique (Oregon) had their numbers called for the start. Grindlinger, who was on a tighter leash following a complete game win last Wednesday versus Newport Harbor, spun a clean two and one-third innings, yielding just one hit and four strikeouts. Orique held the Oilers offense in check to only one run and four hits through five innings including eight punch outs. 

The Oilers did however cross the plate first in this contest as Dane Cunningham ripped a single up the middle that was gloved by the shortstop Andres Gonzalez, but as he fumbled the ball, Parker Leoff (who was on second) took advantage and sprinted home under the tag for the 1-0 lead. Gahr fought back in the fifth against reliever Steel Kurtz, knocking the senior for two runs on three hits. An RBI single by Bryce Morrison and Sacrifice Fly by the aforementioned Gonzalez, handed the Gladiators a 2-1 lead. This was the first time in two years on the Varsity that Kurtz allowed any sort of earned runs, snapping 13 consecutive appearances. 

Tensions nearly boiled over in the visiting half of the sixth inning, but southpaw Christian Haupt kept the Oilers in a one run deficit by stranding two runners in scoring position with one out thanks to a strikeout looking of Luis Alonzo and flying out Alexander Brown to left fielder Owen Bone. A gutsy performance from Haupt carried over into the home half of the sixth as back-to-back hits led off the frame (infield single by Bone and double by Sol Moriyama), putting another golden opportunity to score in the Oilers lap. They failed three times earlier in the game to score with runners in scoring position, but pinch hitter Brayden Wood did not let the late opportunity slip away. With Gahr bringing in reliever Morrison (USC) to shut the door, Wood slashed a 2-0 fastball into left-center field, bringing home pinch runners Charlie Henderson and Luke Crespo. 

As the Oilers faithful brought the noise in the seventh, Tanner Brown would not be denied from locking down the save. Making his fifth appearance out of the bullpen, Brown induced a game-ending 6-4-3 double play, wiping out a leadoff hit by pitch. This is the second save of the year for Brown and third win for the team in a one-run game.    

With this win, the Oilers finish the regular season 5-4-1 versus non-league opponents while also staying consistent on a three-game winning streak. In terms of trends, Huntington Beach improves to 2-4 when trailing after five innings and 16-2 when scoring the game's first run. 

Oilers Scoring Plays: 

Bot 3: Dane Cunningham Infield Single, Parker Leoff Scores (1-0 HB)

Bot 6: Brayden Wood Singles to CF, Charlie Henderson & Luke Crespo Scores (3-2 HB)

Stars of the Game: 

Brayden Wood: 1-1, 2 RBI

Dane Cunningham: 1-3, RBI

Jared Grindlinger: 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 K

Cayden Hammond: 1.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 K

Christian Haupt: 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 K

As the book is now closed on the 2026 regular season, the Oilers must now wait for the CIF-SS Playoff committee to release the Division 1 rankings with a brand new 16-team, double elimination format. The playoffs begin on Tuesday, May 12 with the opponent, time and location to be determined on Saturday May 9 when the seeding is revealed. You'll be able to listen to all the CIF-SS Division 1 action on hbhsathletics.mixlr.com with the "Voice of the Oilers" Dominick Lorenz, with the pregame show tentatively 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):