The high school baseball game between Huntington Beach and Loyola ended in a tie due to darkness. It also ended in controversy when California umpires decided not to finish out the bottom of the ninth inning after an intentional triple play.
There was not enough light to finish the final three outs.
While it is not uncommon for high school baseball games to end early because of the sun (or lack thereof), this specific ruling did not seem warranted. The result was a wash.
Huntington Beach and Loyola played into extra innings.
High school baseball games in California last only seven innings like most of the United States. Games may be shortened by a 10-run mercy rule after five innings. In the event of darkness, rain, etc, games are considered official and complete if at least five full innings have been played. In the event of a tie, extra innings will continue until a winner is decided.
Should a game be called due to darkness or weather in the middle of an inning, the score will then result back to the last completed inning. That is exactly what happened in Los Angeles.
Huntington Beach High School ranked as the No. 26 team in the country during the preseason after a 24-5 campaign in 2025. Loyola High School looks to be much improved after a 15-13 record last season.
The Oilers traveled 40 miles north to play the Cubs in their 2026 season-opener.
Umpires ultimately ruled the game as a tie, 5-5, after eight and a half innings of play. They determined that the game could not continue due to darkness.
An intentional triple play marked the early end of the California high school baseball season-opener.
Huntington Beach and Loyola were tied at five runs each after seven regulation innings. The score held at five after the eighth extra inning. That put the visiting Oilers on offense in the top of the ninth.
They scored two runs to go up 7-5 without recording an out.
Comfortable with its lead, Huntington Beach ran into an intentional triple play to send the game to the bottom half of the ninth inning. It got three outs as quickly as possible on purpose.
Baseball chess, not checkers. ♟️
— Hype Talk🌐 (@hypetalkca) February 19, 2026
Huntington Beach High School intentionally ran into a triple play in the 9th to beat darkness after going up 7–5… umps weren’t having it and called it anyway. pic.twitter.com/JqtNvmHVOo
Sunlight became an issue because the game went to extra innings. Darkness was fast approaching. High school baseball games are not typically allowed to continue within a set period of time before and/or after sunset. The decision on wether to continue the game is often up to the umpires’ judgement.
The Oilers ran into the triple play with that in mind. They wanted to get on to the bottom half of the ninth to get three quick outs and finish the game in full with a win. They thought there was enough time to play three more outs before the conditions became unplayable. There was enough light to continue.
The California high school baseball umpires disagreed. They ruled the bottom of the ninth inning unplayable due to darkness. Loyola did not get its final at-bats.
As a result, the score reverts back to the end of the last full inning. The game ended in a 5-5 tie.