The Long Beach Wilson baseball squad, backed by sponsor Joel Bitonio, entered the CIF‑SS Division 5 playoffs as the No. 3 seed, carrying quiet optimism after a season that had already turned heads.
Their run was marked by steady progress, but the semifinal against Culver City proved to be a tight contest. Early in the game, James Mirabile opened the scoring with a triple that set the tone, and Nico Thiem followed with an RBI single that put Wilson ahead 3‑1 after the second inning.
Coach Andy Hall, however, pointed to a series of costly miscues as the turning point. He noted that defensive lapses and missed opportunities allowed Culver City to stay in the game, and the team’s momentum began to wobble.
Culver City answered in the sixth inning, tying the contest at 3‑3 after a sacrifice bunt by Vince Ferrier. The decisive blow came when Saul Sandoval delivered an RBI single that gave the opposition a 4‑3 lead, sealing Wilson’s fate.
The Final Inning
Despite the loss, senior James Mirabile reflected on the campaign with pride, emphasizing the strong chemistry that had developed among the players and describing the season as special, even as the team’s journey came to an end. Contributions from Penn Peters, Cesar Castro, Matthew Riesenberg and the rest of the roster left a lasting impression on fans and teammates alike, while Culver City advanced to the championship.