By Nathan Rode
National Supervisor

CARY, NC—The third day of the 2017 National High School Invitational was short on games with the adjusted schedule, but it was long on action. For the fifth time in six years, the championship game features two California teams. The 2017 edition is an Orange County special as Orange Lutheran and Dana Hills will face off.

Dana Hills’ win over Winder-Barrow HS, GA, was a dramatic one, as the Dolphins trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff single and stolen base, SS Zachary Waters pushed OF Thomas Van Hoomissen to third with a base hit. A flyout gave Winder-Barrow one out. OF Jeremy Ciolek drew a walk to load the bases and the tying run came home on a walk to 1B Joe DeBaca. That brought up DH Hans Crouse, who pitched Dana Hills into the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Known more for his electric arm, Crouse delivered with the bat on the first pitch, dumping a single over the second baseman’s head for the walk-off single.

Orange Lutheran was the first to punch a ticket, rallying against South Hills, CA, for a 5-3 victory earlier in the day. South Hills put up three runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead, but coughed it up in the fourth when Orange Lutheran put up a four spot. 2020 IF Elijah Buries went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. RHP Brenden Aventino, a UC Riverside recruit, pitched 5.1 shutout innings of relief, allowing five hits while striking out two.

NHSI Nuggets

+ In the first consolation game of the day, two Florida powers squared off in American Heritage HS and Trinity Christian Academy. American Heritage claimed a 7-4 victory with SS Mark Vientos going 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Vientos squared up his first hit with a short, quick swing and then grounded a pitch through the left side for his second.

+ In the other consolation game, Archbishop McCarthy HS, FL, pounded Canterbury School, FL 12-4. DH Joe Perez paced the offense with seven RBIs. In his first at-bat, he skied a ball to right field that got caught in the wind and carried out for a grand slam. In his second at-bat, Perez followed a double from 1B Alex Toral with a single to bring his teammate home. He then smoked a two-run double to left-center field in his third at-bat, collecting his seventh RBI before the third inning was complete.