Just over a week ago, Rancho Bernardo High School and Point Loma High School squared off in the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 championship game. The Pointers won, securing their second straight section title.
On Saturday afternoon, the two programs met in a championship game once again. This time, Rancho Bernardo came out on top.
The Broncos captured the CIF Southern California Regional title in Division 2, beating the Pointers 2-1.
“It’s an exciting moment for us,” said Rancho Bernardo coach Jeff Baumback said. “Point Loma is an extremely well-coached and great team. It feels good to come and finally not get that runner-up plaque.”
In arguably the team’s biggest game of the season, Baumback handed the ball to freshman starter Brayden Kotera. The young right-hander responded by delivering 5 1/3 quality innings of work, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks while striking out one.
Kotera said he “came out there with confidence, did my job, threw the pitches I needed to.”
“Everything was working,” he said. “The defense behind me backed me up all day.”
The Broncos’ bats did just enough to back up their starter. They took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by junior Brady Strachan. The base knock scored Hugo Gonzalez, who had led off the inning with a triple to center.
Then, in the top of the fourth, Nathan Bembenek came through with a two-out, opposite-field RBI single. Camden Rogers narrowly avoided the tag at home- plate thanks to a nifty head-first slide.”
“We work on bunting and using the opposite field. It’s something that is definitely a part of our game,” Baumback said. “So for that to happen, and have it pay off, is exciting.”
To close out the game, Baumback turned to senior Christopher Bayne. In Bayne’s last outing against Point Loma on March 31, the Pointers tagged him for five earned runs in four innings.
On Saturday, the left-hander flipped the script. Working the final 1 2/3 innings, Bayne allowed one hit and struck out the game’s final two batters. The game ended with the tying run stranded on second base.
“‘Topher has been excellent for us all season,” Baumback said, “and handing the ball to a senior at the end of that game seemed like the way to go about it.”
