BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVE: Basha | Huntington Beach

CARY, N.C. – Ralphy Velazquez drove in four runs to help Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) to a 6-3 win over Basha (Chandler, Arizona) in the opening round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

The win secures the Oilers’ (1-0) spot in the NHSI quarterfinal round.

Velazquez (3-for-4, 4 RBIs) was the key cog in the Huntington Beach offense on Wednesday, providing their first run in the opening inning, the go-ahead hit in the second, and an insurance run in the seventh. The Oilers, who tallied six hits in the win, also got a strong offensive showing from Bradley Navarro (2-for-3, RBI) who had a pair of knocks and added a sacrifice fly. Basha (0-1) collected seven hits in the defeat, led by Alex Dabrowski’s (2-for-3, RBI) two-hit day.

Huntington Beach’s Carson Lane (1-0) started for Huntington Beach and scattered seven hits over four innings of work, limiting damage multiple times to allow just three runs earn the win. Bradyn Barnes (0-1) started for Basha and suffered the loss after surrendering four runs in three innings. Tyler Bellerose (1) entered out of the Huntington Beach bullpen and fired three hitless frames to earn the save.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Huntington Beach jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Dean Carpentier drew a leadoff walk, Linkin Garcia roped a double, and Ralphy Velazquez knocked in the game’s first run with an RBI-groundout.
• Both teams rallied for three runs with two outs in the second, starting with Basha in the top of the frame. An RBI-single by Adam Dabrowski and a two-run infield hit by Gavin Smith put the Bears in front 3-1.
• Huntington Beach loaded the bases with none out, and after going down on two strikeouts, struck for three runs on a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single through the right side by Ralphy Velazquez to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second.
• Basha squandered a pair of scoring chances in the fourth and fifth innings, leaving a combined five runners on in the two frames. Huntington Beach’s Carson Lane escaped a two-on, two-out situation in the fourth before Tyler Bellerose got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.
• Huntington Beach tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Bradley Navarro.
• Ralphy Velazquez continued his hot day in the bottom of the sixth, splitting the gap in left-center field for an RBI-double to put Huntington Beach in front by three.
• Huntington Beach’s Tyler Bellerose finished off the win with a hitless seventh inning to lock down the 6-3 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Linkin Garcia and Ralphy Velazquez each doubled in the opening round win, the only two extra-base hits in the contest.
• By walking twice and hitting a double, Huntington Beach’s Linkin Garcia reached base three times in Wednesday’s win.
• Basha’s Gavin Smith drove in two runs, joining Huntington Beach’s Ralphy Velazquez as the only two players with multiple RBIs.
• Six different players scored a run for the Oilers.
• Huntington Beach pitchers escaped trouble for most of the afternoon, stranding nine Basha runners on base.
• Basha played a crisp game defensively, committing zero errors in the defeat.
• Huntington Beach is now 5-1 all-time in NHSI opening round games.

ON DECK

Huntington Beach takes on Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Basha will play Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) in consolation play.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.