A benches-clearing basebrawl broke out during a high school playoff game in Southern California on Thursday that caused both teams to be eliminated.
With Verdugo Hills leading Roosevelt 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning in the CIF Division 5 regional semifinals, a Verdugo Hills runner got caught in a rundown between third and home on a grounder to the pitcher. The runner barrelled into Roosevelt third baseman Izaiah Cortez, who tagged the runner out.
The runner exchanged words with Roosevelt pitcher Ivan Gonzalez before Cortez got up and shoved the runner before punches were thrown, causing players from both dugouts to storm the field.
After the brawl, the game was called, and Verdugo Hills was declared the winner. But both teams paid a heavy price.
Because of the brawl, neither Verdugo Hills nor Roosevelt will be eligible to advance to the regional final, and Coastal Academy will be deemed the winners of the Division 5 Southern California regionals by forfeit.
Coastal Academy defeated Schurr 5-2 in the other semifinal.
Minarets and Pacific Grove will square off on Saturday in the NorCal regional championship. A state title game involving the two regional champions will be introduced next season, according to Fox 26.
Verdugo Hills season ends at 15-19, while Roosevelt finished with an 11-18 record.
