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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. 

The day after two difficult losses in a doubleheader against the Power, the Pirates met the Bucs at Mt. SAC in a game that would decide their playoff hopes. 

A loss would almost certainly knock them out of the playoffs, but a win would give them a solid chance. Even with a win, the Pirates still needed the Legends to lose one of their last two games. 

The Pirates didn’t know it at the time, but the Legends would actually go on to lose their last two games. 

The Pirates looked re-energized even after the long and draining day at UCR.

It was starting pitcher Landon Martin who set the tone and attitude. Martin came into the game, having not given up a run all season, and he continued his scoreless streak throughout this start. 

Martin did allow a run in the second, but it was unearned. Even though the run was unearned, Martin looked more motivated than ever. The Cal State Fullerton pitcher threw an incredible seven innings, not allowing an earned run, and striking out 12 along the way. 

The outing was the most dominant pitching display all season, and it was exactly what the Pirates needed. 

Tre Minisee relieved Martin in the ninth and pitched two scoreless frames of his own, including a perfect ninth inning to earn the save. 

On the other side of things, the Pirates’ offense did not get a lot of momentum going, but they didn’t really need to as the pitching was so good. 

The Pirates only scored two runs in the game, though they did rack up ten hits. 

The first run came in the fourth as the Pirates loaded the bases with no outs for outfielder Vaughn Coleman. Coleman hit a deep Sacrifice Fly to tie the game, but the Bucs limited the damage by getting two quick outs after. 

The winning run came in the seventh on a Dominic Garcia single to left that brought in Darin Osterloh. 

Though the Pirates only scored two runs, outfielders Mason Greenhouse and Hunter Meyer had impressive days, getting two hits each. 

The game was one of the quickest of the year, flying by in just two hours and five minutes due to the great pitching on both sides. 

The Bucs finish last among the Inland Valley’s teams, and the Pirates will play a two-game series this weekend against the Palm Springs Power.

After losing game one of their doubleheader against the Palm Springs Power, the Inland Valley Pirates needed to do all they could to win the second game, to give themselves a clear path to the playoffs. 

Unlike the first game, it was the Pirates who struck first in game two. Esteban Olazaba was hit by a pitch, and Isaiah Walz crushed a double to left to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. 

Vuaghn Coleman took advantage of the opportunity by singling to right to bring both runners in. 

The Pirates struck again in the second and third. Jordan Viramontes hit a deep two-out double and was subsequently driven in by Mason Greenhouse in the second.

In the third inning, Darin Osterloh grounded out, but Coleman was able to score. With the score now at 4-0, the Pirates were clearly in control. 

Game one of the day was very long, but this game was flying by because of the quick work of Pirates’ starter Andrew Phillips. 

Andrew Phillips was absolutely dominant. Over his first five innings, Phillips struck out five, allowed zero runs, and only gave up one hit. 

Phillips finally gave up a run in the 6th inning after issuing a walk that was doubled in by Blake Conrad. Phillips left the game after the sixth, finally giving the Power some hope that they could break the game open. 

The Power would chip away once again in the seventh, this time against Pirates reliever Chris Hernandez. Hernandez issued a leadoff walk that would eventually score with two outs after Garrett Bevacqua hit a single through the middle. 

As the Power finally got some offensive momentum, they managed to stifle the Pirates’ offense. From the 4th inning on, the Power impressively shut out the Pirates. Even though their pitching was performing well, they still needed two runs in the ninth to tie the game. 

In the top of the ninth with their backs against the wall, the Power found a way to rally. Palm Springs hit two singles to lead off the inning, and an errant throw brought one of the runners in with only one out on the board. 

A Matt Chavez pinch-hit Sacrifice Fly brought in the tying run, a crushing blow for the Pirates. Though they were able to get out of the inning, the Pirates had lost their offensive momentum and could not muster another run. 

In the top of the 10th, the Power found another run, and they were able to make quick work of the Pirates in the bottom half of the inning. 

The Power swept the doubleheader over the Pirates, meaning that the rivals split the season series. 

The loss guarantees the Power a spot in the playoffs and means that the Pirates need to win out and have the Legends lose one of their final games.

The Inland Valley Pirates and Palm Springs Power met halfway to play a doubleheader at UCR on Monday. 

The two teams met for a weekend series two weeks earlier in Palm Springs, a series that saw the Pirates beat and sweep the Power for the first time in a long time. 

Monday’s doubleheader was significant for both teams as they held the top two seeds, but had yet to clinch. 

The Pirates, looking for a season sweep of the Power, started Jude Favela, one of their premier pitchers. Favela looked sharp early, but he was hit with a comebacker to the elbow with two outs in the first inning. 

Favela immediately walked off the mound after getting hit, and there was no question about keeping him in the game. 

Losing Favela was a massive blow to the Pirates, and they felt the impact immediately. The runner on base was able to advance, and the batter who hit the ball reached base. 

After a lengthy delay to allow the Pirates to warm up a new pitcher, Power catcher Matt Chavez hit a double into the right-center gap, bringing in two runs. 

Pirates pitcher Noe Novella did well for the circumstances and got out of the first and pitched a clean second inning. 

In the third inning, the Power completely blew the game open. The Pirates were not even able to get an out until the seventh batter of the inning. 

Michael Gonsalez hit a single to bring in the first run of the inning. Mark Kirkwood hit a deep double to add a second run, and Chavez continued his success by finding two more RBIs.

A bases-loaded walk, and another single added two more runs to the total, making the score 8-0 in just the third inning. 

In the bottom of the inning, Cole Koniarsky hit a line drive down the rightfield line to bring in one run for the Pirates, but they would need multiple big rallies to match the Power. 

The game was quiet for a few innings, until the top of the sixth, when a bases-loaded walk extended the Power’s lead to 9-1. 

The Pirates were only able to bring in one more run during game one, and it came on a Sonny Rios single to center. 

The final score of the game was 9-2, and the pressure was now on the Pirates to beat the Power in game two to help them try to clinch a playoff spot.

The day after the SoCal Mavericks upset the Pirates at Fullerton College, the two teams met again at Mt. SAC. The Mavs had to win once again to stay alive in the playoff race, while the Pirates looked to knock them out en route to clinching their own playoff berth. 

The Pirates came out swinging hard. Centerfielder Hunter Meyer destroyed a ball off the top of the centerfield wall on the first pitch of the game for a triple. 

Esteban Olazaba hit a hard ground ball, reaching on an error and driving Meyer in. The Pirates were able to load the bases for catcher Waldie Perez, who hit a drive into center to bring in two more runs to cap off the inning. 

In the bottom of the inning with their backs against the wall, the Mavericks were able to score two runs largely due to three walks issued to Mavs hitters. Ultimately, the Pirates were able to get out of the inning without forfeiting the lead. 

The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning, giving them the chance to extend their lead. Outfielder Vaughn Coleman did his part, getting hit in the knee by a pitch to extend the lead by one before the Mavs pitched their way out of the inning. 

In the top of the 3rd, outfielder Cody White hit a leadoff double down the left field line. Marc DiCarlo followed up by hitting a single up the middle to extend the lead for the third consecutive inning. 

A leadoff error allowed the Mavs to get a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the third. Mavs’ centerfielder Mifflin shot a groundball through the middle, allowing the team to draw the score to 5-3. 

In the top of the sixth, the Pirates did what they could to put the game out of reach. With two outs, Jordan Viramontes hit a line drive into left to bring in the first run of the inning. 

Luke Medure and Connor Tallakson got on base, loading the bases for Diego Orozco. A past ball brought in a second run, and then Orozco drew a walk for a third run, making the score 8-3. 

In the bottom of the inning, the Mavs got two across to make it closer, but once again, the Pirates responded with a big inning. 

A Rocco Regan triple down the right field line cleared the bases, putting two more on the board to make the score 10-5. 10-5 would ultimately be the final score, effectively eliminating the Mavs from playoff contention. 

On the mound, the Pirates had two clutch performances that won them the game. Ryan Oaks came in during the second inning and pitched six frames, only allowing two runs while striking out five. 

DiCarlo, whose primary position is right field, came in to pitch the final two innings, and he was lights out. DiCarlo was the hardest-throwing pitcher of the day, and he shut the door on the Mavs, throwing two scoreless innings, striking out two. 

The Pirates’ win brings them closer to clinching a playoff spot, but they still have two more games against the Power and one more against the Bucs.

So far this season, the Nighthawks have played three games against the Nighthawks, winning all three, scoring almost 17 runs a game on average. 

With a win, the Pirates could secure a sweep over the Nighthawks, their first chance to do so in 2025. 

With Pirates’ pitching being strong over the past few weeks, they looked like strong favorites coming into the game. 

In today’s game, Pirates’ pitching was strong once again, but the score would not properly reflect that fact due to four errors allowing four unearned runs to come in. 

The Nighthawks struggled even more defensively, tallying six errors throughout their eight innings on the field. 

Even with the errors, the Pirates’ offense picked up 11 hits and outpaced the Nighthawks by scoring four earned runs. 

The Pirates’ first two runs came in on passed balls in the first inning, scoring Vuaghn Coleman and Diego Orozco. Coleman had the best hit of the day, hitting a leadoff double off the top of the wall in deep left-center. 

The Nighthawks responded strongly in the top of the third, scoring three runs. Ian Stewart drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first run, and Mateo Carresi hit a groundball which was not fielded cleanly, allowing two more runs to come in. 

The Pirates’ bats immediately made up for the error when Coleman hit a groundball to shortstop with a runner on third to tie the game. Orozco followed Coleman by hitting a line drive up the middle to add one more run and regain the lead. 

In the fifth, another error would allow the Nighthawks to tie the game at 4-4. However, the Pirates once again responded positively. In the bottom half of the inning, the Pirates brought in five runs to close the door on the Hawks. 

A Wes Hickey single up the middle drove in the winning run. Coleman then drew a bases-loaded walk to add to the lead. 

Wyatt Prieto picked up an RBI on a hard-hit groundball, then Cole Koniarsky hit a Sacrifice Fly to extend the score all the way to 8-4. 

The fifth and final run came from a Rocco Regan single that was just out of the reach of the diving middle infielders. 

After a chaotic first five innings, the pitching staffs and defenses of each team finally settled in. In the last four innings of the game, each team was held to only one run after they scored a combined 13. 

Sonny Rios hit an RBI single for the Pirates’ 10th and final run, while Ian Nguyen hit a Sacrifice Fly for the Hawks’ fifth and final run. 

Jude Favela and Ryan Oaks were the most impressive pitchers of the day, each allowing zero runs for the Pirates over a combined three innings in relief. 

The Pirates’ sweep of the Nighthawks is a great accomplishment and draws the team closer to clinching a playoff spot and the No.1 seed.

Charlie Reynoso’s Pirates met at Mt. SAC to battle Matt Cordero’s Legends. The two teams were set to play four games this year, and the Legends took the first two games.

The third game was played last week, in which the Pirates were finally able to turn the tide and get their first win over the Legends. The game on Monday, July 7, is the final game of the season series between the CPCL’s top two teams. 

The Legends came in with the opportunity to win the series, while the Pirates had the chance to tie it.

From the start, the Pirates looked strong. Starting pitcher Landon Martin set the tone, continuing the dominance he’s displayed all season. 

Martin pitched four scoreless innings, striking out seven along the way and only allowing one hit. Martin’s teammate at Cal State Fullerton, Chris Hernandez, came in to pitch in the fifth, and he continued the high-quality pitching. 

After allowing one run in his first inning, Hernandez threw two and a third scoreless innings. 

Legends starter Jayden Daya also looked good through his first two innings, but things changed in the third after he got hit by a line drive. The comebacker, combined with an error, saw the impressive pitcher leave the game early. 

The third inning was a rough one for the Legends. Pirates’ second baseman Dominic Garcia drove in the first run of the inning. Vaughn Coleman hit a ball hard to the shortstop, but reached on an error, bringing in the second run. 

Singles from Hunter Meyer and Esteban Olazaba brought in two more runs, and a fifth and final run came in when Waldy Perez drew a bases-loaded walk. 

Two innings later, the Pirates had another five-run inning. Legends’ pitching issued a walk to Diego Ortiz with the bases loaded to extend the lead to five. Olazaba then hit a double down the right field line to score two more runs. The last two runs came on a Fielder’s Choice and a passed ball. 

Pirates pitching continued to shut the Legends down until the eighth, when they finally got some momentum behind them. 

Blake Helsper hit a line drive single the other way to bring Austin Owens in to make the score 10-2. 

Despite the deficit, the Legends kept on fighting. 

With their back against the wall and two outs in the ninth, the Legends started a huge rally. They drew two walks, and one batter was hit by a pitch to load the bases. 

Andrew Alva hit a line drive up the middle to bring two runs in, making the score 10-4. 

Tyler Shigenaka hit another single to bring in one more run, and an error allowed for a sixth run to come across. 

Unfortunately for the Legends, but fortunately for the Pirates, the rally finally ended on the next batter, and the game came to a close

The final score was 10-6, meaning the Pirates and Legends split the season series.

The two teams will continue to battle for first and second place through the end of the regular season, which is next Tuesday.