Box | Plays | Cumulative: JSerra

CARY, N.C. -- JSerra Catholic picked up four runs in the top of the first inning, and it was all 18U National Team alum Matthew Champion needed as the Lions move on to the championship game of the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

JSerra will face Huntington Beach High School in the final on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Oilers defeated Bishop Gorman 3-2 in the second semifinal.

Champion was solid on the mound, striking out four batters and scattering six hits over his complete-game effort. He picked up the win, giving up one run in the bottom of the third on a double-play ball. Offensively, the Lions came out swinging in the first inning, tagging Santa Margarita starter Hayden George with four runs. Charlie Caruso led the offense on the day, going 2-for-3, while Dominic Smaldino tallied two RBIs with his 1-for-2 day.

For Santa Margarita, Logan de Groot (2-for-3) picked up two hits, including a leadoff double to deep left-center in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Eagles could not come up with a clutch hit with runners on base against Champion. Brennan Bauer was stellar in relief of George. Coming on in the second inning, he pitched six innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and giving up just two walks and two hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• JSerra leadoff Andrew Lamb started the game with a walk, and Trent Caraway pushed him to third with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners with one out. Jonathan Mendez then sent the first pitch he saw to right field to score Lamp, and the Lions took an early 1-0 lead.
• Dominic Smaldino contributed a two-RBI single up the middle, and Jackson Summers tallied an RBI-walk to cap a four-run first inning for JSerra in the top of the first inning.
• Santa Margarita scratched a run across the plate in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1. Tyler Ankrum led off with a single and moved to third on a single from Blake Balsz before crossing the plate on a double-play ball from Blake Wilson.
• JSerra threatened again in the top of the sixth inning with runners on second and third with one out, but Brennan Bauer got out of the jam. Luke Lavin tagged out the runner from third on a failed suicide squeeze play and Luke Johnson backhanded a hard ground ball to throw out the runner to end the inning still trailing 4-1.
• Santa Margarita’s Logan de Groot launched the first pitch he saw to deep left center for a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Champion shut the door to advance JSerra to the championship game.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Matthew Champion picked-up the complete-game victory for JSerra Catholic with a dominant outing. He struck out five batters and gave up just one run in his seven innings of work.
• Charlie Caruso led the offense for JSerra, finishing 2-for-3, while Dominic Smaldino came through with the big, two-RBI single in the first inning.
• Santa Margarita starting pitcher Hayden George was chased following the first inning after he surrendered four runs on three hits. He struck out two batters in his one inning of work.
• Brennan Bauer was stellar in relief for the Eagles, giving up just two hits and two walks over six innings of work and striking out two batters.
• Logan de Groot led the offensive effort for Santa Margarita on the day, finishing 2-for-3 with a double.

ON DECK

• JSerra Catholic will face Huntington Beach in the championship game of the 2023 NHSI on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Huntington Beach was victorious over Bishop Gorman, 3-2, in the second semifinal.
• Santa Margarita will face Blessed Trinity in a consolation matchup at 6 p.m.

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.