CARY, N.C. – Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, Calif.) was able to quell a late-inning comeback by Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) to pick up a 6-4 opening round win at the USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Wednesday, April 6, in Cary, North Carolina.

With the win, Yucaipa (1-0) advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 NHSI on Thursday. Regis Jesuit (0-1) falls into the consolation bracket.

Yucaipa cracked the scoreboard first in the second inning and never looked back, leading for the entirety of the game. The Thunderbirds were led offensively by Luke Scherrer (2-for-4), who drove in half of the team’s runs and was one of two Yucaipa players with a multi-hit game. Wyatt Hickey (2-for-4) also provided offense for the Thunderbirds. Dallas Macias (2-for-4) was the offensive leader for Regis Jesuit.

Payton Von Kaenel earned the win for Yucaipa after turning in 1.1 shutout innings with a strikeout. Carter Herrera earned the save, tossing a perfect seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts to secure the opening round win for Yucaipa.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Yucaipa opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, when Trevor Busby’s RBI groundout plated Danny Arambula. Wyatt Doty followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Isaiah Walz to give Yucaipa a 2-0 advantage.
• The Thunderbirds extended their lead to three in the third when Luke Scherrer roped an RBI single back up the middle.
• Isaac Wachsmann got Regis Jesuit on the board in the third inning, scorching an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to 3-1.
• Yucaipa scored twice more in the top of the fifth frame. After Scherrer drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-1, Gavan Egan dropped a bases-loaded bunt to drive in a run and extend the lead to four runs.
• Regis Jesuit rallied in the fifth to get back into the game. The Raiders scored twice on a pair of wild pitches and then Nate McHugh singled up the middle cut into Yucaipa’s lead and make the score 5-4.
• The Thunderbirds responded with an insurance run and took a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning when Scherrer cranked a two-run double into left-center field to score Jacob Reimer and secure the win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Carter Elliott got the start on the mound for Yucaipa, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing four runs. Brooks Gerig suffered the loss for Regis Jesuit after throwing 5.0 innings and surrendering five runs.
• The two teams combined for six hits and five runs in the fifth inning, with four pitchers appearing in the inning between the two sides.
• Yucaipa’s pitching staff (Elliott, Ethan Osborn, Von Kaenel, and Herrera) did not allow an extra base hit in the victory.

ON DECK

• With the win, Yucaipa advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Thursday. The Thunderbirds will take on Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.), who beat D.H. Conley in the opening round.
• Regis Jesuit falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.