BELLFLOWER — The St. John Bosco baseball team scored three runs in the sixth inning to rally past Vista Murrieta for a 5-4 victory in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs Tuesday.
The Braves were led by junior left fielder Noah Everly who went 3 for 3 at the plate, including a go-ahead, two-RBI double in the bottom of the sixth.
“You have to be ready for the moment,” Everly said. “I’ve been in these moments a lot and I’ve seen this before so it’s nothing new.”
The Braves (24-4) will play at Villa Park (24-6) in the quarterfinals Friday.
St. John Bosco reliever Jack Champlin reacts after recording the final out in the Braves’ 5-4 come-from-behind win over Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco third baseman Jack Champlin tags out Vista Murrieta’s Zachary Aleman on the face in the fifth inning on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco reliever Jack Champlin, who played most of the game at third base, is greeted by his teammates after recording the final out in the Braves’ 5-4 come-from-behind win over Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta players celebrate after designated hitter Vaughn Neckar, far left, hit a fifth inning home run against St. John Bosco on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco reliever Brayden Krakowski reacts after getting the final out of the third inning against Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco junior James Clark reacts at second base after his sixth inning RBI double tied the score at 3-3 against Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco catcher Micah Taguiam fields a play in front of home plate against Vista Murrieta as pitcher Trevor Heishman looks on in the second inning on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta players cheer in the early going against St. John Bosco but in the end fell short in the Braves’ 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Broncos on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta designated hitter Vaughn Neckar steps on home plate after clubbing a fifth inning home run against St. John Bosco on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco senior left-hander Trevor Heishman started the game for the Braves against Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco freshman reliever Brayden Krakowski is greeted by his teammates after being taken out of the game in the seventh inning against Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Gavin Kramer scores a run in the second inning against St. John Bosco on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Vista Murrieta’s Mikey Hollis lays down a successfully sacrifice bunt in the second inning against St. John Bosco on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco junior shortstop James Clark reacts at second base after his sixth inning RBI double tied the score at 3-3 against Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco junior center fielder Miles Clark heads to the dugout after belting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fourth in the Braves’ 5-4 win over Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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St. John Bosco reliever Jack Champlin reacts after recording the final out in the Braves’ 5-4 come-from-behind win over Vista Murrieta on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
“I told the guys they had great energy throughout the whole game,” St. John Bosco coach Andy Rojo said. “In the playoffs, it’s do or die so I said there’s no reason not to be engaged and locked in on every single pitch.”
Vista Murrieta senior pitcher Dylan Berentis threw 5 2/3 solid innings and gave up two runs. After throwing 104 pitches, he was relieved by junior pitcher Jonas Jusay with two outs in the top of sixth inning. The Braves trailed 3-2.
Bosco senior Aiden Olguin hit a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth. Olguin advanced to second base on a passed ball.
Facing a 3-2 count, Bosco junior James Clark hit a two-out RBI double that scored Olguin and tied the score at 3.
6th inning: St. John Bosco 3, Vista Murrieta 3.
Bosco junior SS James Clark’s RBI double ties the game 3. @CallMeEPJ pic.twitter.com/u877uDQXtX
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 21, 2025
After junior designated hitter Jaden Jackson was intentionally walked, Jusay was relieved by senior Vaughn Neckar with two outs in the sixth.
Everly deliverd a double that drove in Clark and Jackson and put the Braves up 5-3.
Neckar struck out junior first baseman Moises Razo to end the sixth inning.
Freshman pitcher Brayden Krakowski earned the win. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowed four hits, one walk and two runs. He struck out one batter.
Vista Murrieta senior Brady Luyben hit a two-out RBI double in the top of the seventh inning to cut St. John Bosco’s lead to 5-4.
“I didn’t have a doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to compete in that last inning,” Vista Murrieta coach Michael Tousignant said. “I’m proud of this group. They never gave up and you saw that at every inning.”
In the seventh, Krawkowski was relieved by junior Jack Champlin, who was tasked with getting the final out.
Facing a 3-2 count with runners on first and second, Champlin got Vista Murrieta senior Gavin Kramer to ground out to secure the victory.
Final: St. John Bosco 5, Vista Murrieta 4.
The Braves advance to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. pic.twitter.com/JmUICB2ham
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 21, 2025
Vista Murrieta (23-6-1) took a 2-0 lead in the second inning.
“I think we had a lot of opportunities early and we just couldn’t capitalize,” Tousignant said. “We put ourselves in good positions. We just couldn’t get the job done.”
St. John Bosco junior Miles Clark hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning. That cut Vista Murrieta’s lead to 2-1.
“With this great squad we have, we can bounce back,” Everly said. “We can do anything. Anything is possible and we’re just that squad. We’ll get this done.”
Neckar hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning and give the Broncos a 3-1 lead.
Jackson drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fifth. Everly was hit by a pitch, and that put runners on first and second with no outs.
Razo delivered an RBI single that scored Jackson from second but Everly was tagged out at second. The Braves trailed 3-2.
It was the Braves’ first game since May 7 because they received bye in the first round of the playoffs.
“Nothing replaces games though,” Rojo said. “We knew we were going to have to really get going. A 13-day break is kind of like a blessing and a curse. You get to have a bye in the first one but you have to be ready to go.”
St. John Bosco baseball coach Andy Rojo on his team’s 5-4 comeback victory over Vista Murrieta in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs. pic.twitter.com/nXj12gmGPO
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 21, 2025
St. John Bosco 2026 OF Noah Everly on his go-ahead 2-RBI double to lift his team advance to the CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals with a 5-4 win over Vista Murrieta. pic.twitter.com/deA156H1qa
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 21, 2025
Vista Murrieta coach Michael Tousignant on his team’s tough 5-4 loss at St. John Bosco in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
VM led 3-1 in the fifth inning. @CallMeEPJ pic.twitter.com/Z93bSNHs7o
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 21, 2025
Originally Published: May 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM PDT