Regional Playoff Recap
The San Marcos High baseball team saw its season conclude in the first round of the CIF‑SS Division 4 playoffs after an 8‑4 loss to Grand Terrace. Grand Terrace surged ahead early, plating three runs in the opening inning, highlighted by a two‑out double from Vasili Kazaltzes, and extended the lead to 5‑0 before the Royals could respond.
San Marcos finally got on the board in the fourth when Landon Johnson drove in Levi Monson, but the Titans answered with three more runs in the sixth to push the margin to 8‑1. A late rally in the seventh added two more runs for the Royals, with Quinn Melton and Mason Crang each delivering RBI singles, while Levi Monson scored twice in what would be his final high school appearance.
The Royals will lose several key contributors, including Monson, Crang, Grant Hoover, Johnson, Miles Herbert and others, as they move on from a season marked by both promise and missed opportunities.
In Division 8, Bishop Diego’s campaign ended with a 3‑1 defeat to Nordhoff. David Timewell threw a complete game, allowing just three runs on five hits, but the Cardinals could only muster a single unearned run.
Nordhoff’s starter Wesley Hunt dominated with ten strikeouts, while Ricky Fisher and Brandon Stein collected hits for Diego, and Zach Fisher drove in the team’s lone run.
The double elimination underscores a shifting landscape in local high school baseball, as programs rebuild around graduating seniors and emerging talent.