CIF DIVISION II TITLE GAME

ANAHEIM — The game ended suddenly, maybe too much so after Huntington Beach High waited 105 years to get into a CIF baseball championship game.

But after Sean Guite’s potential RBI single was erased by the leaping Crespi second baseman, there was no time left Saturday afternoon at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

The Oilers made history this year but came up a game short of a title as they fell to Crespi of Encino in the Division II championship game, 8-1.

Huntington Beach was left thoroughly frustrated after the game, and Guite’s last out seemed appropriate enough.

“We hit it right at guys the whole game,” Guite said. “It just didn’t fall for us, didn’t go our way. It was a tough game.”

Tough from the beginning, as the Celts racked up a 4-0 lead after an inning. Ryon Healy’s single to center scored two, and Josh Mason followed with a two-run home run to left.

Crespi added runs in the second and third, forcing Coach Benji Medure to pull senior starter Barry Luke and go with Blake Cestr, also a senior.

The Oilers’ UCLA-bound senior Beau Amaral tripled opening the bottom of the third, and he scored on Jon Combest’s RBI groundout. But by then, Crespi (21-11) had scored its sixth run, leaving the Oilers (20-13) playing catch-up from the start.

“[Luke] was keeping his change-up up, and that hurt him,” Medure said. “He wasn’t his normal self. He didn’t really have his normal rest between starts, but he did his best and I’m proud of him. I’m proud of the way he pitched all year long.”

Healy did the rest. Not only was he three for four with a home run and three RBIs, but he improved to 11-0 with a masterful performance. He allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked just one.

“That’s been his story all [CIF] tournament,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “He’s just been unbelievable.”

The Celts also showed a knack for timely hitting. Six of their eight runs were scored with two outs.

“It’s very frustrating,” Guite said. “One more out and you’re out of the inning, and then they just hit the ball hard.”

The game also featured a bizarre play in the bottom of the fifth. With two on and two out, Guite was up. He tried to check his swing on a 2-and-2 pitch, but no call was made. With the count full, Crespi threw a pitch-out, catcher Spencer Wendt tagged Guite and he was called out.

After protests from both teams, Guite was awarded first base. With the bases loaded, Amaral connected on a slicing fly ball to left, but Crespi made the play to render the controversial series of events moot.

Senior shortstop Mike Chairez was two for four for the Oilers, Cestr and Jake Porter added singles and senior Brayden Kent added a pinch-hit single in the seventh.

Senior Andy Ragsdale also pitched a scoreless seventh in relief.

Despite the loss, Medure said he was extremely proud of his team. The Oilers finished as the third-place team in the Sea View League and had to play a wild-card game, beginning their magical run that resulted in the first title game appearance in school story.

That included a win over Yucaipa, the state’s top-ranked team.

“If you would have told me that at the beginning of the year, I wouldn’t have believed it,” he said. “Even with this loss, I am so proud of my kids and Huntington Beach baseball. I think we represented the city well.”