St. John Bosco Micah Taguiam celebrates after hitting a sixth inning, two-run homer giving the Braves a 3-2 lead in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills Charter left fielder Tristan Jennings watches a ball off the bat of St. John Bosco’s Micah Taguiam sail over the wall in the sixth inning, giving the Braves a 3-2 lead in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco catcher Micah Taguiam runs past the Granada Hills Charter dugout after belting a sixth inning, two-run homer giving the Braves a 3-2 lead in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco Micah Taguiam (right) is greeted at home plate by pinch runner Jaden Jackson after the catcher belted a a sixth inning, two-run homer giving the Braves a 3-2 lead in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco Micah Taguiam (right) is greeted at home plate by pinch runner Jaden Jackson after the catcher belted a a sixth inning, two-run homer giving the Braves a 3-2 lead in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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St. John Bosco pinch runner Jaden Jackson slides safely into second base in the sixth inning against Granada Hills Charter in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills Charter’s Diego Monreal strokes a hard infield grounder to drive in the second of two sixth inning runs against St. John Bosco in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills Charter players celebrate after Jackson Lyons (#6) scored the first of two sixth inning runs against St. John Bosco in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills Charter starter Collin Azoy delivers a pitch during his team’s 3-2 loss to St. John Bosco in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco left fielder Owen Tomich holds his glove up after making a stellar diving catch in the fifth inning against Granada Hills Charter in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco pitcher Anthony Cosme delivers a sixth inning pitch en route to a 3-2 complete game victory over Granada Hills Charter in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco shortstop Noah Perez watches Granada Hills Charter’s Jackson Lyons dive safely into second base after a third inning wild pitch in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Granada Hills Charter’s playoff run ends with a 3-2 road loss to St. John Bosco in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco pinch runner Jaden Jackson slides safely into second base in the sixth inning against Granada Hills Charter in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco winning pitcher Anthony Cosme receives high fives after the Braves beat Granada Hills Charter 3-2 in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
St. John Bosco winning pitcher Anthony Cosme receives high fives after the Braves beat Granada Hills Charter 3-2 in first round play of the Division 3 CIF State Southern California Regional on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, in Bellflower. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
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BELLFLOWER — Junior catcher Micah Taguiam slugged a two-run home run in the sixth inning to lift the St. John Bosco baseball team to a 3-2 win against Granada Hills Charter in the first round of the CIF Southern California Regional Division III playoffs Tuesday.
“Going up to the plate I felt relaxed,” Taguiam said. “I have to act like I’ve been there before. I was trying to see something up as you can tell… I was looking for something to hit in the air since the wind blows out. And I saw it, two strikes, I tried to shorten up and just turned on it and it went out.”
“We’ve been preaching the whole year that from an offensive standpoint, you’re always just one swing away,” St. John Bosco coach Andy Rojo said. “So the previous two swings weren’t very pretty looking, but he got ahold of one. He’s been doing that in BP pretty consistently and we’ve told him in the game, open it up.”
Bosco (21-11) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, when senior pinch runner Jaydee Denning stole second base and later scored from second when he capitalized on a Granada Hills fielding error with two outs.
Granada Hills (21-10) tied the game at 1 in the top of the sixth inning. An RBI bunt single by junior catcher Alex Schmidt scored senior third baseman Jackson Lyons.
The Highlanders took a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning when senior first baseman Easton Hawk, who reached base on a single, scored on a throwing error as the Braves tried to turn a double play.
“(Down) 2-1, I didn’t lose any faith in my team,” St. John Bosco senior pitcher Anthony Cosme said. “We battled throughout this whole year.”
Cosme, who signed with Cal Poly Pomona, threw a complete game with six scoreless innings and allowed only five hits, two runs and one walk with eight strikeouts.
Tuesday’s win was extra special for Taguiam, who could not make the game-saving tag at the plate in a 2-1 loss to Beckman in extra innings in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 championship game in Lake Elsinore on May 18.
“I felt like coming out here we wanted to prove something and we did,” Taguiam contiuned.
“I’m super proud of him,” Cosme added. “I’m glad he didn’t let what happened in the championship game bring him down.”
The No. 1 seed Braves are seeking postseason redemption and the program’s first CIF regional title. Bosco will host No. 4 Birmingham (20-11-1) on Thursday at 4 p.m.
“This team is awesome,” Taguiam continued. “We have a lot of energy. We came out a little flat in the beginning but I was glad to bring us back up and bring up that energy.”
Taguiam reached base after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth. Denning pinch ran for Taguiaum and stole second base with one out. Senior left fielder Owen Tomich struck out. Bosco senior center fielder Julian Villasenor (Washington State signee) stepped to the plate with two outs. His hard-hit ball created an infielder fielding error, and aggressive baserunning allowed Denning to score from second to give the Braves a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Granada Hills senior pitcher Jack Nelson, who replaced senior starting pitcher Colin Azoy after four innings, matched Cosme’s effort with a three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the fifth.
Lyons and Hawk both singled, which put runners on first and third with one out in the top of the sixth inning. Schmidt laid down an RBI bunt single down the third base line that scored Lyons to tie the game at 1.
Hawk later scored on a throwing error to put Granada Hills up 2-1 with two outs.
Cosme struck out Granada Hills senior designated hitter Justin Barnett to end the top of the sixth inning.
Bosco senior first baseman Zach Woodson (Pepperdine signee) drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth. Sophom*ore pinch runner Jaden Jackson was inserted for Woodson and promptly stole second base. That’s when Taguiam delivered his two-run home run over the left-field fence to put the Braves up 3-2.
Highlanders junior second baseman John Barnett chopped a leadoff single down the third base line in the top of the seventh inning. Granada Hills junior pinch hitter Assane Diaw popped out to Taguiam for the first out of the inning. Highlanders junior pinch hitter Anthony Castro laid down a bunt, but was thrown out at first by Cosme for the penultimate out. Lyons flew out to end the game.
St. John Bosco 3, Granada Hills 2 headed to the 7th inning. Bosco junior catcher Micah Taguiam delivered a 2-run HR to put the Braves back on top in the bottom of the 6th. pic.twitter.com/yQbccDOs5g
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) May 29, 2024
