By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

CARY, NC—Friday’s action at the National High School Invitational was wild with three games going into extra innings and two being decided on walk offs—and that was just the consolation games. In the semi-finals, Chaminade College Prep, CA, topped Florence HS, AL, 8-2 and Huntington Beach HS, CA, beat Allatoona HS, GA 3-1 to set up an all-California championship. Four of the five NHSI finals have now been between California teams and the one year a California team didn’t win, which was 2014, The First Academy, FL, needed a late-inning rally to beat Clovis HS—a California team.

The day started with two games, both of which went intro extras. North Broward Prep, FL, and Liberty Christian Academy, VA, had a marathon game that lasted 12 innings. RHP Evan McKendry started for North Broward Prep and gave the Eagles a strong start, but Liberty Christian tied it in the fifth inning. Both teams scored a run in the 10th before Liberty Christian put up two in the 12th and closed the door in the bottom half of the inning.