The opening round of the CIF‑Southern Section baseball playoffs unfolded on Thursday, delivering a slate of dramatic contests that set the stage for Friday’s second‑round matchups. From Division 2 showdowns to surprise upsets in Division 4 and beyond, the results were released and the schedule for the next day was confirmed.
First‑Round Highlights
Elsinore edged Villa Park 3‑2 in a tightly contested Division 2 game, while Santa Margarita rolled past Rancho Christian 19‑1. Ganesha edged Linfield Christian 2‑1, and South Hills shut out San Clemente 2‑0. Great Oak posted a 10‑5 victory over Valley View, and Aquinas slipped past Dana Hills 3‑2. Gahr dominated El Segundo 3‑0, and Servite secured a 2‑0 win over Costa Mesa. Foothill edged Vista Murrieta 2‑1, and Royal faced off against El Modena in another Division 2 showdown. Yucaipa downed Paraclete 4‑2, and Chaminade edged Newbury Park 10‑9 in a thriller. Loyola crushed Yorba Linda 18‑0, while Alemany met Mission Viejo in Division 2. Westlake edged Alta Loma 4‑3, and San Marino enjoyed a bye in Division 4. Saugus battled Walnut, and Rio Mesa routed Hesperia 6‑0. Claremont edged La Salle 1‑0, Glendora routed St. Anthony 11‑5, and Katella faced Sonora. Upland beat Riverside Poly 7‑4, Canyon/A topped Valencia/V 5‑4, and Marina edged Santa Monica 8‑6. La Quinta/LQ took on Northview, Palm Desert dispatched Oxnard Pacifica 11‑7, and Grand Terrace defeated San Marcos 8‑4. Laguna Beach slipped past Highland 3‑2, and Woodbridge shut out Chino 11‑0. Monrovia edged Castaic 10‑6, while Moorpark met La Serna. Ontario downed California 8‑6 in Division 6, and Windward faced Brentwood. Foothill Tech edged Bloomington 3‑2, Canyon Springs blanked Ramona 3‑0, and Troy beat Granite Hills 4‑2. Trinity Classic Academy topped Orange 5‑1, Northwood outscored Shadow Hills 14‑7, and El Rancho edged Estancia 4‑2. Western Christian downed Cantwell Sacred Heart 3‑1, Savanna topped Don Lugo 14‑7, and Covina edged Tustin 4‑3. Alhambra surged past Mary Star 17‑14 in Division 6, while Hueneme met Calvary Chapel/SA. Muir faced Hillcrest, Lakewood played Leuzinger, and Crossroads edged Lancaster 4‑3. Rancho Alamitos topped Los Amigos 7‑5, Edgewood edged Colton 1‑0, Marshall beat Santa Rosa Academy 8‑5, Chadwick downed Vasquez 6‑1, Rio Hondo Prep crushed Beacon Hill 14‑1, Compton faced Cornerstone Chr./W, Oxford Academy topped Desert Christian/L 3‑1, Duarte routed Buckley 18‑7, Santa Clarita Chr. beat Academic Excellence 6‑0, Nuview Bridge edged Providence/Burroughs 5‑2, Nordhoff topped Bishop Diego 3‑1, Magnolia defeated Indian Springs 7‑4, Artesia topped Banning/B 4‑2, and Anaheim overcame Salesian 9‑1. Schurr edged Hesperia Christian 2‑1, rounding out a busy day of action.
Friday’s Second‑Round slate
The next round of games will begin at 3:15 p.m., unless a different start time is announced. In Division 1, Pool A pits Norco against Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks and Ayala against Maranatha. Pool D features Orange Lutheran versus Corona and Corona Santiago against Etiwanda. Pool C matches Sierra Canyon with St. John Bosco and Oaks Christian against Cypress. Pool B includes Harvard‑Westlake versus Huntington Beach and Temecula Valley against La Mirada. Division 3’s first‑round pairings feature Arlington at Mira Costa, Redondo Union at Ridgecrest, Dos Pueblos at Burbank Burroughs, Edison at Damien, Pacifica Christian/NB at Palos Verdes, Warren at West Ranch, San Dimas at Cajon, Crescenta Valley at St. Francis, Oakwood at Agoura, Pacifica/Garden Grove at Chino Hills, Bishop Amat at Corona del Mar, Fullerton at San Juan Hills, Charter Oak at Beckman, South Torrance at Millikan, Summit at La Canada, and Simi Valley at Arcadia. In Division 5, Paloma Valley meets Citrus Valley, Moreno Valley takes on Irvine, Cathedral faces Calvary Baptist, Sunny Hills plays Long Beach Poly, Tahquitz meets Quartz Hill, Kaiser squares off against Oak Hills, Heritage Christian confronts Paramount, Loara meets Santa Barbara, Montebello battles Long Beach Wilson, Jurupa Hills takes on Santa Fe, Temescal Canyon faces Arrowhead Christian, Capistrano Valley Christian takes on Riverside Prep, Culver City meets Cerritos Valley Christian, Mayfair squares off with St. Bonaventure, Bishop Montgomery meets Cerritos, and Rancho Verde takes on St. Bernard. Division 7’s opening round includes Palmdale at New Roads, Carpinteria at Flintridge Prep, North Torrance against Baldwin Park, Beverly Hills versus Grace, Pasadena Poly at Santa Paula, Milken against Fontana, Patriot at Viewpoint, Valencia/P at Victor Valley, Riverside Notre Dame at Hemet, South El Monte versus Buena Park, University Prep at Golden Valley, Jurupa Valley against Campbell Hall, Arroyo at Miller, Carter at Adelanto, Nogales against Garden Grove, and San Jacinto Valley at Norwalk. Division 9’s first‑round matchups comprise Redlands Adventist Academy at Dunn, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian at Lennox Academy, Downey Calvary Chapel at Crossroads Christian, Coastal Christian versus St. Monica Academy, Mesa Grande against San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo Classical at Ojai Valley, Loma Linda Academy at Webb, Santa Maria Valley Christian at Yucca Valley, Lucerne Valley at Rolling Hills Prep, United Christian Academy at Ambassador Christian, Riverside Bethel Christian at Desert Hot Springs, Anza Hamilton at Westminster, Pomona versus Temecula Prep, Cobalt against Environmental Charter, Garden Grove Santiago at Gorman Charter, and Animo Leadership at St. Pius X‑St. Matthias Academy.
With the dust still settling from Thursday’s action, the upcoming Friday schedule promises more high‑stakes contests as teams vie for a spot in the later rounds. The breadth of competition across divisions underscores the depth of talent in the section, and fans can expect a full slate of baseball drama throughout the afternoon.