Beckman players celebrate after beating St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
LAKE ELSINORE – In the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs, the game tied and teammate Isaiah Kapur on second base, Beckman’s Jagger Snitko hit a line drive to right field.
Snitko rounded first base and took a look toward home plate to see Kapur trying to score.
“I thought he was out,” Snitko said. “But he put a good slide on it.”
That good slide, a sprawling headfirst effort, got Kapur’s left hand across the plate to give Beckman a 2-1 win over St. John Bosco in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 baseball championship game Saturday at Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium.
Beckman players rush the field after beating St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beckman players rush the field after beating St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beckman players celebrate after beating St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beckman players celebrate after beating St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dejected St. John Bosco players after losing to Beckman in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1.(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Macade Maxwell of St. John Bosco catches a fly ball for an out against Beckman during the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dejected St. John Bosco Head Coach Andy Rojo and players after losing to Beckman in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1.(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jagger Snitko of Beckman, tries to throw to first from the ground against St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ken Tomitaka, left, of Beckman, is congratulated by teammates after scoring the first run against St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jack Terry, right, of Beckman, is tagged out at third base by Owen Stelzer of St. John Bosco during the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco bunts the ball against Beckman during the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Zach Ireland of Beckman keeps his eyes on the ball after bunting against St. John Bosco during the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beckman players rush the field after beating St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cookie Okamoto, left, of Beckman, is forced out at second base by Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco during the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beckman players and coaches celebrate their win over St. John Bosco in the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Owen Tomich of St. John Bosco watches the ball go foul after bunting against Beckman during the championship game of the CIF-SS Division 3 baseball playoffs in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Beckman won the game 2-1. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
It is Beckman’s second CIF-SS baseball championship. The previous one came in 2011.
Beckman coach Kevin Lavalle coached that 2011 team. He now has coached as many championship teams as his father Hi Lavalle, who coached Dominguez and Canyon to CIF-SS baseball championships.
Lavalle said the Patriots have decided to not play in the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs that begin May 28. Teams that advanced to the CIF-SS semifinals can play in the regional.
St. John Bosco (20-11) scored its run in the top of the second inning. Beckman (25-6-1) scored in the bottom of the third.
The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the eighth.
The inning started with the Patriots’ Ken Tomitaka getting hit by a pitch. Zach Ireland’s sacrifice bunt moved Tomitaka to second base and Kapur was intentionally walked.
Jack Terry hit a ground ball to St. John Bosco third baseman Owen Stelzer, who stepped on third base for the force out on Tomitaka, the inning’s second out, and Kapur took second base.
Snitko followed with his opposite-field liner to right.
“I took a deep breath before stepping into the box,” Snitko said. “Everything cleared. And it was just me and my head.
“And I just got a pitch to hit on the outside and drove it through the 3-4 hole (between first and second base).”
Braves right fielder Macade Maxwell made, as Lavalle expected, a powerful throw to the plate. Maxwell had thrown out Terry at third base in the third inning.
Patriots third base coach Doug Ireland waved home Kapur, and the slide could not have been better.
“Their right fielder has a cannon,” Lavalle said. “But you’ve got to send (Kapur) in that situation.”
Ireland, a senior right-hander who went into the game with a 7-2 record and 0.69 ERA, said he was not in top form Saturday. But Ireland, who signed with UC Davis, certainly was effective.
He pitched seven innings, gave up an unearned run on two hits and struck out five with three walks. Senior lefty Rex Jarcy pitched the scoreless eighth inning for Beckman.
Noah Perez drove in Micah Taguiam for the Braves’ run in the second inning. Tomitka scored on a throwing error in the third.
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