St. John Bosco baseball scores on wild pitch to beat Sierra Canyon in playoffs

BELLFLOWER – Noah Everly scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the sixth inning and St. John Bosco’s baseball team edged Sierra Canyon, 4-3, in a pool-play game Friday in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

The Braves (25-5) won both of their pool-play games in the new format for the Division 1 playoffs. They advance to the quarterfinals on Friday, May 22.

Sierra Canyon (24-6), the No. 3 seed in Division 1, split its two pool-play games and will play at Cypress on Tuesday in a “knockout round” game. The winner of Tuesday’s game advances to the quarterfinals.

St. John Bosco head coach Andy Rojo was proud of the way his team found a way to win in a high-pressure moment.

“We got some great athletes and they came through there,” he said.

St. John Bosco @CoachAndyRojo spoke about the big win against Sierra Canyon, @NonoEverly scoring on a wild pitch in the 6th, and the great relief pitching of @amanda_m83_ @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @SJBoscoBaseball @sjbathletics pic.twitter.com/j5iBa7GZ4N

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) May 16, 2026

The Braves’ 2-0 lead was erased in the fourth inning when Sierra Canyon rallied against starter Jack Champlin, who struggled with his command.

Champlin issued a one-out walk to Brayden Goldstein and then hit the next batter Jordan Leon.

After a single by Sierra Canyon’s Isaias Tirado grazed off the glove of Braves third baseman Isaac Hernandez, the bases were loaded with only one out.

Champlin surrendered an RBI single to Teddy Levin that scored pinch-runner Alex Scott, and then Carl McMullan delivered a two-run double that brought home Leon and Tirado and gave the Trail Blazers a 3-2 lead.

The Braves replaced Champlin on the mound at that point.

Champlin went 3 1/3 innings, allowed three earned runs on three hits, one walk and had two strikeouts.

He also went 1 for 3 batting with a double, a stolen base and a run scored.

St. John Bosco reliever Troy Sibolboro came in and got two outs end the inning, leaving runners stranded at second and third.

St. John Bosco responded in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jhett Ohira hit a leadoff double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Richie Avina.

Myles Clark then stepped in against Trail Blazers starter Lucas Letts and hit an RBI single that scored Ohira to tie the game at 3-3.

Letts was then taken out of the game. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and struck out five.

The Braves found a way to take the lead in the sixth inning against left-handed reliever Mac Kennedy, who surrendered a one-out single to Everly.

Everly then stole second base to work his way into scoring position. He then took third base on a wild pitch.

With Champlin battling against Kennedy, the lefty pitcher threw another wild pitch that went to the left side of the backstop, Everly sprinted home and his head-first slide beat catcher Aiden Jahng’s throw to home plate, giving St. John Bosco a 4-3 lead.

Everly went 1 for 2 with a single, a sacrifice fly RBI, a stolen base and the game-winning run.

“I saw it clip off, and I felt I could beat the pitcher, and I’m faster, so I just beat him and I got through,” said Everly.

St. John Bosco LF @NonoEverly went 1/2 with a single, stolen base, RBI, and the game-winning run in the 6th inning off of a wild pitch and spoke about that moment in the 6th inning @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @SJBoscoBaseball @sjbathletics pic.twitter.com/mdnrkqTHUX

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) May 16, 2026

Sibolboro pitched out of a small jam after allowing a leadoff single by McMullan. He left the tying run at second base to close out the win for the Braves.

Sibolboro got the win as he pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out two.

“It feels pretty good. I had a feeling I was going to come in,” said Sibolboro. “Coach said, ‘Troy go get hot,’ and I saw an opportunity to go get it, and I went to go get it.”

St. John Bosco relief pitcher Troy Sibolboro @amanda_m83_ pitched the final 3.2 scoreless innings getting out of a jam in 4th inning and surrendering just 1 hit with 2 Ks thereafter and an unsung hero in this win for @SJBoscoBaseball @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @sjbathletics pic.twitter.com/s5WrveYixc

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) May 16, 2026

The difference in the game was that St. John Bosco was able to maximize its scoring opportunities and manufactured runs while also taking advantage of some miscues from Sierra Canyon.

The Trail Blazers had two batters reach base safely due to errors by the Braves in the early innings, but they were unable to capitalize.

“It was a well-played game by both teams, we just needed to capitalize on the situation and we didn’t,” said Sierra Canyon head coach Tom Meusborn.

“In these games, the details are magnified. When you get an opportunity to capitalize, you need to. When you don’t, it makes it tougher…It’s a game of details. We just came up a little short on a detail or two, and that’s what happens in playoff baseball.”

Sierra Canyon head coach Tom Meusborn talks about the loss to St. John Bosco, the wild pitch from Mac Kennedy that allowed the go-ahead run to score, and how this was a game of details @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @ladailynews @SCBaseball_Var pic.twitter.com/6gN6PKtDNQ

— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) May 16, 2026