Final CIF Southern Section 2023 baseball playoff brackets: Canyon, Crespi, Aliso Niguel and Peninsula claim Saturday titles

Two nationally ranked teams play for the fifth time Friday in premier game and Dmitri Susidko wins it with RBI single in bottom of eighth inning in Long Beach

After two long and high drama action, the Southern Section baseball championship games are finally here. 

The premier game Friday night featured two nationally ranked teams in Division I, and No. 8 JSerra-San Juan Capistrano pulled out a 1-0 win over No. 17 Santa Margarita in eight innings at Blair Field in Long Beach. 

Dmitri Susidko singled home the winning run for the walk off win to give the Lions (24-9) their eighth straight win overall and 13 of 14. The other wins in the playoffs were over Yucaipa (7-0), Etiwanda (6-1), Sierra Canyon (6-3) and Corona (6-0) in the playoffs.

The Lions gave up just four runs in five playoff games.  

🚨CIF-SS @socaliford Baseball D1 Championships🚨

The JSerra Lions walk it off to win the Division 1 CIF Championship!

Final in 8 innings
⚾️ @SMCHSBaseball 0️⃣
⚾️ @JSerraLionsBB 1️⃣

📍 Blair Field#CIFSSBaseball pic.twitter.com/VlDQXwQ6Ar

— CIF Southern Section (@CIFSS) May 20, 2023

Santa Margarita (26-7) had won seven straight coming in and 11 of 12. In the playoffs, the Eagles beat Foothill-Santa Ana (6-2), Millikan (8-0), La Mirada (9-4) and Orange Lutheran (5-1) before Friday's win. 

Going into Friday's game, Santa Margarita and JSerra had played four times this season, splitting the games with JSerra winning the last contest 4-1 on March 31. 

The other big game was at Division 2 on Saturday, where Crespi (21-7-3) fought back from a 5-2 seventh-inning deficit to defeat South Hills 6-5. Crespi shocked No. 9 national Aquinas 5-3 in the semifinals behind two hits apiece for Ethan Kodama, Landon Hodge and Diego Velasquez. 

Here are the days and game times for all seven divisions, all played at Blair Field.  

FRIDAY

Division 7

Ganesha (17-0) vs. Fillmore (17-13), 1 p.m. 
Final: Ganesha 7, Fillmore 0

Division 6

Hesperia Christian (18-2) vs. Castaic (23-7-1) , 4 p.m.
Final: Castaic 7, Hesperia Christian 0

Division 1

JSerra (23-9) vs. Santa Margarita (26-6), 7:30 p.m.
Final: JSerra 1, Santa Margarita 0

SATURDAY

Division 4

Crean Lutheran (24-8) vs. Canyon (19-12), 10 a.m.
Final: Canyon 3, Crean Lutheran 0

Division 2

South Hills (24-6) vs. Crespi (20-7-3), 1 p.m.
Final: Crespi 6, South Hills 5

It’s bedlam in Long Beach. Unreal finish.

Crespi wins 6-5 on a walk-off error that allows a runner to scamper home for the win from an errand throw to first base. South Hills held a 5-2 lead heading into the 7th.

Crespi wins the CIF Division 2 title. Scott Muckey is smiling. pic.twitter.com/46oeO04i8Y

— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) May 20, 2023

Division 3

Aliso Niguel (18-13) vs. San Marcos (22-6), 4 p.m.
Final: Aliso Niguel 11, San Marcos 1

Division 5

Apple Valley (21-7) vs. Peninsula (19-10), 7 p.m. 
Final: Peninsula 3, Apple Valley 0

Defending champions are JSerra Catholic (D1), Etiwanda (D2), Oaks Christian (D3), Tesoro (D4), Burroughs (D5), Estancia (D6) and Baldwin Park (D7). 

Here are the complete CIF-SS baseball playoff brackets with matchups and game times.

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 1 BASEBALL BRACKET

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 2 BASEBALL BRACKET

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 3 BASEBALL BRACKET

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 4 BASEBALL BRACKET

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 5 BASEBALL BRACKET

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 6 BASEBALL BRACKET

CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 7 BASEBALL BRACKET