LONG BEACH — The Pioneer baseball team was closing in on its first CIF Southern Section title Saturday, but then came a sudden momentum change that derailed the Titans before they could reach their goal.

Fillmore trailed by six runs but scored seven runs in the last four innings to come from behind for a 7-6 victory over Pioneer in eight innings in the Division 8 final at Blair Field.

Pioneer (17-13), playing in its first championship game, was leading 6-0 heading into the fifth inning. Fillmore scored a run in the fifth, followed by four runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to tie the game, 6-6. It added the winning run in the eighth.

Fillmore (14-17) was playing in its ninth final and has now won six championships.

“You know, we had our chances and didn’t take advantage of (these) chances,” Pioneer coach Bob Espinosa said. “Fortunately, we did make some school history, but it wasn’t the positive school history that we wanted.”

Leading the way for the Titans was junior second baseman Jacob Rayas with three singles, two runs scored and two RBIs. Junior first baseman Myles Baquiero added two hits, an RBI and a run scored. Senior shortstop Izzy Copado was 3 for 5 with two runs and an RBI.

Pioneer opened the scoring in the third inning with three runs on three hits. Senior Joseph Valencia reached on an error, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored the first run on a double by Copado.

Islas followed with a double that brough in Copado and Islas came home on a single to center by Baquiero.

Pioneer added three runs in the top of the fifth inning on a leadoff single by Copado, a walk to Islas and a single by Baquiero. Copado came home on an infield error and Islas and Baquiero eventually came home on a two-run single to right by Rayas that gave the Titans a 6-0 lead.

Titans junior Joshua Carrasco was sailing along through the fifth inning and allowed only one hit before the Flashes scored a run.

The big inning for Fillmore came in the sixth when it scored four runs to make it 6-5. Two errors by Pioneer aided the rally.

In the seventh, Fillmore scored the tying run and had a runner on third. Valencia made a circus catch to prevent the Flashes from a walk-off win.

“It didn’t surprise me,” Espinosa said. “It was an unbelievable catch.”

The game-winning run came on a throwing error. Fillmore had a runner on second base who scampered all the way home for the win.