The Royal Highlanders rallied in extra innings to defeat the Santa Monica Vikings 5-3 on Friday, March 28, in a high school baseball game that showcased the talent of several college-bound players.
The contest remained tight throughout regulation before Royal broke it open in the eighth inning when Isaiah Tillman delivered a clutch two-run hit to center field, providing the margin of victory.
"I think we have a very strong team. But Royal is obviously very good as well," said Vikings head coach Jordan Sigman. "They got several Division I college commits so it should be a good challenge for us."
Indeed, Royal entered the game with five players committed to Division I programs: Caden Sramek to Oklahoma State, pitcher Dustin Dunnwoody to the University of Arizona, Brady Hewitt to the University of Oregon, Dean Barkman to UC Santa Barbara and Zachary Nagy to the University of San Francisco.
The Vikings countered with senior ace Eddie Jennings on the mound, who delivered a strong performance despite the loss. Jennings threw 109 pitches over six innings while striking out seven batters.
"We're giving the ball to Eddie Jennings," Sigman said before the game. "He's very experienced, he's a senior and he's our ace for sure. He pitched in two playoff games last year for us, won both of them and he pitched very well. So, he's got the ball to start and our bullpen is fully stacked behind him."
Royal took an early lead in the first inning when Hewitt drove in a run with a base hit. The Highlanders extended their advantage to 2-0 in the second inning on Nagy's RBI single to right field, which led to a close play at the plate.
Santa Monica responded in the bottom of the second when Eric Gonzalez delivered an RBI hit to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Vikings tied the game in the third inning as Gonzalez connected for another key hit to left field before scoring on an RBI from Isaac Liberman.
The score remained deadlocked at 2-2 until the sixth inning, when Royal regained the lead on a suicide squeeze executed by Hewitt, who laid down a perfect bunt to score a runner. Santa Monica answered immediately in the bottom half when Blue Hunter came through with a clutch hit to tie the game 3-3.
Vikings third baseman Tre Camp, playing out of his natural middle infield position, made several key defensive plays throughout the contest, including a spectacular catch to end the seventh inning.
"It felt good. It's an adjustment but I was able to make it work," Camp said of playing third base. He added that his season goal is "to be consistent defensively."
Camp also contributed offensively, collecting a single to right field in the fifth inning. "I was able to string together some good at bats," he said. "I want to be able to contribute anyway I can."
With the game tied after seven innings, both teams battled into extra innings. Royal's Tillman proved to be the hero in the eighth, driving home two runs with his center field hit to give the Highlanders a 5-3 advantage.
Santa Monica was unable to answer in the bottom of the eighth as Hewitt closed out the victory for Royal.
Dunnwoody earned the win for Royal after throwing 83 pitches over five innings with six strikeouts before giving way to the bullpen.
The loss was a tough one for Santa Monica, which showed resilience by battling back from multiple deficits before falling in extra innings. Both teams demonstrated the competitive level of high school baseball, with several players showcasing the skills that have earned them college scholarships.
The Vikings will look to regroup as they continue their season, while Royal improved their record with the extra-inning victory in what proved to be an entertaining and well-played contest between two talented squads.