The Palm Springs Power once again finished first in the CPCL regular season, matching them up with the No. 2 Inland Valley Pirates for a best-of-three playoff.
As the second seed, the Pirates hosted game one at Citrus College. The first game flew by with great pitching on both sides.
For the Pirates, APU’s Jacob Yun was on the hill. Yun had a good start, but ultimately gave up three runs over five innings.
Kenny Keller started on the mound for the Power, and he struggled with his control, walking four, but he was able to hold the Pirates to just one run over four innings.
The one run the Pirates picked up in the fourth was their last as Power pitching dominated the rest of the way through.
Relievers Chapman Weber and Isaac Quintero combined for five scoreless innings, four strikeouts, and only three hits.
Despite the offense struggling, Pirates reliever Chris Hernandez kept the team in the game. Hernandez threw the final four innings and only allowed one hit.
The Pirates ultimately lost game one 3-1, meaning that they would have to win two games in Palm Springs to take the championship.
Offensively, Austin Haller had a great day for the Power, getting two hits and scoring two of the three runs. Myles Walton was the most impactful player, driving in the two runs.
Game two was a much more exciting contest. The Pirates needed to win to keep their championship hopes alive, but hope looked dim early on.
Power outfielder Mark Kirkland drove in one run on a single up the middle to open the scoring. Two more runs were brought in on a groundball that got through the infield despite looking like a potential double-play ball.
The Pirates’ offense picked up for the defensive struggle, having one of their most impressive innings of the year. Isaiah Walz and Marc DiCarlo got things going, hitting back-to-back singles to start the inning.
Ashton Romero came up after and hit a double to centerfield, driving in both runners. Romero was then driven in on a single from Esteban Olazaba. Hunter Meyer hit a single as well, advancing Olazaba into scoring position.
Mason Greenhouse came up and hit a third consecutive single, and Cole Howart followed up by hitting a long double to right, bringing the inning total to five runs.
Things were looking good for the Pirates, but errors once again killed them in the bottom of the second. An error in left field allowed two more runs to come in, tying the game up at five.
Two RBIs from Cody White and one from Darin Osterloh gave the Pirates an 8-5 lead in the sixth inning, but the Power remained relentless. An RBI from Bevacqua and another error made by the Pirates’ defense brought the Power within one.
In the seventh, the Power found the tying run on an RBI single from Kirkland. With all the momentum going their way, the Power looked destined to win the game and their third consecutive championship.
In the ninth inning, Walton hit a leadoff triple, putting the winning run at third. Two shallow pop flies into the outfield put everyone on edge and gave the Pirates hope that they could get out of the jam.
The Power brought in Blake Conrad to pinch hit, and he confidently ended the wait, smoking a single up the middle.
The Palm Springs Power have now won three CPCL titles in a row, though they were challenged more than ever this year.
The season is a memorable one, with the Power, Pirates, and Legends all jostling for first place throughout the season.
We thank the parents, players, friends, family, and coaches for a wonderful 2025 season, and we are excited to see everyone again a year from now.
Inland Valley Baseball Association 