CARY, N.C. – Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) held off a late rally from Venice (Venice, Fla.) to win the 2026 National High School Invitational presented by Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and Netting Professionals.
The title marks the Lancers’ fourth in program history and first since 2019 as they improve to 24-3 all-time at the NHSI. Additionally, their title is the 10th in the history of the event that has been won by a California school.
Orange Lutheran wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first inning. Ricardo Hurtado led off the game with a single to center field, and after Brady Murrietta drew a walk, CJ Weinstein roped an RBI triple to center field to bring the runners across home plate. Following a hit-by-pitch to put runners at the corners, Jordan Kurz executed a squeeze play to bring a third run across in the frame.
The Lancers extended their lead to 5-0 in the second inning, as Murrietta reached base again, this time on an outfield single, and scored on Eric Zdunek’s double to center field. Zdunek then used a defensive miscue by Venice to score in the next at-bat.
After a scoreless third, Zdunek struck again in the fourth with a run-scoring hit. Murrietta led off the frame with his second hit of the day, a base hit to left field, moved to second on an error, and scored on Zdunek’s single to center field.
Venice got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, using four consecutive outfield singles to plate a pair of runs. RJ Shields started the threat, and Carter Cox, Beau Daniel, and Randall Riley followed suit.
The Indians cut their deficit to three in the fifth inning on Jonathan Mauro’s sacrifice fly, scoring Kohen Poplin from third after he led off the side with a single, moved to second on a walk, and to third on a hit-by-pitch.
Orange Lutheran responded in the sixth with a run when Gavin Hottle drove in Hamilton Friedberg from third on a sacrifice fly to left field after he reached on a single to center field and moved to third on a double by Kurz.
Venice made it a one-run game in the bottom frame at 7-6. Cox and Daniel drew back-to-back walks to start the side, and Maddox Volk singled to load the bases up. A hit-by-pitch, followed by consecutive base hits by August Backman and Graham Houston, allowed the three runs to score.
The Indians looked to tie things up in the bottom of the seventh when Cox and Riley walked with two outs in the frame, but a swinging strikeout ended the threat.
Offensively, Backman, Cox, Houston, and Poplin tallied two hits each to combine for eight of Venice’s 12 hits in the game, while Orange Lutheran’s Murrietta and Zdunek also had two-hit outings. Cox, Weinstein, and Zdunek led all players with two RBIs each, while Cox and Murrietta scored a game-high two runs. On the mound, Blake Killinger threw three scoreless innings to earn the win, Anthony Tomminello was credited with the save after surrendering one earned run across the final two innings of the game, and Poplin was saddled with the loss as he gave up four earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched.
