Orange Lutheran’s Trevor Deack starts to first after laying down a bunt against Santiago of Corona in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
After getting into a jam, Orange Lutheran pitcher Cooper Sides celebrates striking out a Santiago of Corona batter to get the final out in the fourth inning in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran’s Ricardo Hurtado scores a run against Santiago of Corona in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran’s Eric Zdunek, Ricardo Hurtado, and Hamilton Friedberg, from left, celebrate winning the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs against Santiago of Corona in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Santiago outfielder Max Eldridge gets the put out on a low line drive by Orange Lutheran in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran’s Ricardo Hurtado is tagged out by Santiago catcher Johnny Thorton as he tries to score in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Santiago pitcher Striker Pence delivers a pitch against Orange Lutheran in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran catcher Brady Murrietta connects for an extra base hit against Santiago of Corona in the fifth inning in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Orange Lutheran’s Ricardo Hurtado celebrates after hitting a double against Santiago of Corona in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Santiago’s Max Eldridge swings and misses for a strike against Orange Lutheran in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Santiago shortstop Jayden Ramirez waits for the late throw as Orange Lutheran’s Gavin Hottle takes second on an bad throw to first in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Santiago’s Ben Rausch, right, reaches third base safely on a wide throw to Orange Lutheran third baseman Gavin Hottle in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Santiago’s Ben Rausch dives back to the bag safely on a pick off attempt by Orange Lutheran in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoffs in Orange on Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
ORANGE – Cooper Sides continues to make a huge impact for Orange Lutheran’s baseball team.
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Sides, a senior pitcher who is 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, struck out 10 over six innings as the Lancers beat Corona Santiago, 3-1, at Hart Park on Tuesday in the first round of pool play in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
Orange Lutheran (24-5) will play its second pool-play game at Corona (22-6) on Friday. Corona beat Etiwanda, 5-4, on Tuesday. Orange Lutheran, Corona, Etiwanda and Santiago are the four teams in Pool D.
Santiago (18-11) plays at Etiwanda (20-8) on Friday. Because two losses eliminates a team from the Division 1 playoffs, the Santiago-Etiwanda loser will be eliminated.
Sides transferred to Orange Lutheran after spending his first three years of high school at Northern California’s Red Bluff. Sides, who is committed to LSU, has a lively fastball, a drop-off-the-table sinker and a quick-breaking curveball.
“I had all of my pitches working today,” Sides said. “I tried to attack a lot of their guys with sinkers.”
Sides allowed the Sharks’ one run, which was earned, and gave up four hits and two walks. He is 6-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 44⅔ innings this season.
Santiago’s starting pitcher was Striker Pence, a 6-6, hard-throwing sophomore right-hander who is a nephew of former MLB player Hunter Pence and a high-level prospect.
Orange Lutheran scored its first run in the bottom of the first inning. Ricardo Hurtado drilled a double into the right-center field alley, went to third base on a wild pitch and scored on CJ Weinstein’s sacrifice fly, which was more of a line drive, to center to make it 1-0.
Weinstein led off the fourth inning with a single, advanced to second base on a ground out and scored on Hamilton Friedberg’s ground single for a 2-0 lead.
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Santiago got its run in the top of the fifth inning. Ben Rausch hit a one-out single and eventually scored on a ground out to make it 2-1.
The Lancers’ third run came in the bottom of the fifth. Zion Avina drew a one-out walk and scored on Brady Murrietta’s double off of the left-field wall.
Pence went 4⅔ innings, gave up the three earned runs and six hits while striking out three and walking three.
Sides was supported by solid fielding that included an inning-ending double play in the third.
He struck out three of the final four batters he faced and was replaced by Marcus Greis to start the seventh inning. Greis worked a 1-2-3 inning that included a strikeout to cap the victory.
Orange Lutheran coach RJ Farrell was pleased with his team’s all-around solid performance.
“It was a really good team effort today,” Farrell said. “Cooper was dominating the strike zone all day. We knew what it was going to be like facing Pence, and six hits off of him today was pretty good.”
Orange Lutheran and Corona did not play each other during the regular season. They were in the same bracket to start the Boras Classic South tournament, but did not meet. Corona lost to JSerra in the first round of the Boras and Orange Lutheran won the tournament, defeating Norco 4-1 in the tournament championship game.
Corona lost two of its three games against Norco this season in the Big VIII League.
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