Sophomore Noah Davis was brilliant as Huntington Beach upset top-ranked Mater Dei in the CIF Southern Section playoffs on Thursday.
File photo by Terry Jack
negotiated two of the toughest tournaments in the nation this year, defeating the best teams in the state and across the country. But in the end, it was a team in its own backyard that ended the Monarchs' season Thursday.
Huntington Beach (Calif.) knocked off Mater Dei, ranked
No. 4 in the Xcellent 25 and
No. 1 in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings, by a score of 2-1 on the arm of sophomore pitcher
Noah Davis. Despite not starting in the past month,
according to the Orange County Register, Davis limited Mater Dei to just two hits in collecting the first round win in the Southern Section Division I playoffs.
Despite the limited offense, Mater Dei and Huntington Beach were tied at 1-1 heading into the seventh inning.
Clint Jack singled for Huntington Beach to lead off the inning and
Jarrett Anton's base hit put runners at first and third base with one out.
The Monarchs appeared to get out of the inning when the next batter,
Logan Poulesen, hit a ground ball to second base for an apparent double play. However Poulesen beat the throw to first base, allowing Jack to score the go-ahead run.
Logan Poulesen, Huntington Beach
File photo by Terry Jack
"As soon as I hit the ball, I was telling myself 'I need to beat this out, I need to beat this out,'" Poulesen told Antonio Morales of the Orange County Register. "I hit first base and looked at the umpire, he said safe and my body went numb. I heard no sounds, nothing. It was the best moment."
Davis closed out the bottom of the inning to end the season for Mater Dei.
Mater Dei had risen to the top of the national rankings after winning the National High School Invitational for the second year in a row and for winning the inaugural Boras Classic. The NHSI pitted many of the top teams in the country against each other while the Boras Classic was billed as a "de facto state championship" for California.
"We had a lot of memories and great seniors," Mater Dei coach Burt Call told Morales. "My whole team did a great job this year. I'm going to remember them for a long time, because they're pretty special in my heart."
The Monarchs end the season 24-3. Huntington Beach (15-13) advances to face Poly (Riverside).
