Chargers Kick of OEC Tournament with a Big Win
Fronczak retired 12 batters in a row. |
May 2, 2006
Final Stats
Cypress, Calif. - Cypress earned the first seed in the Orange Empire Conference tournament setting up a first round match-up with the eight seed Hornets. This would be the third straight game against Fullerton and the fourth of the season. Cypress followed their 13-0 shutout Saturday with a 10-2 win Tuesday. Sophomore pitcher Jason Fronczak pitched four perfect innings to earn his first win of the season. Fronczak struck out 5 batters retiring 12 in a row halting the Hornets.
Cypress started slow giving up a two run homer in the second to go down 2-0 early. The Chargers did not get on the board until the bottom of the third. Sophomore second baseman Joel Weeks singled and was moved to second on sophomore outfielder Mike Vass’s walk. Weeks and Vass took advantage of a wild pitch to move to scoring position on second and third to await freshman third baseman Brandon Laird. Laird drove his ninth career double to center for 2 RBIs as Weeks and Vass scored to tie the game at two.
The Chargers continued the scoring in the fourth to take the lead. Freshman catcher Bubba Ruddy reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Freshman outfielder Kenny Lusk moved Ruddy to third on a bunt to setup an RBI for freshman outfielder Ben Ornelas. Ornelas singled to right to score Ruddy and give Cypress the one run lead. Weeks hit the first pitch to right for a single as Lusk scored for the next Charger run. Vass got the fourth hit of the inning with a single for 2 RBIs as Weeks and Ornelas scored. Cypress ended the inning with a commanding 6-2 lead.
As Fronczak stonewalled the Hornets, Cypress scored another two runs. Cypress bats heated up with three singles in a row by Ruddy, Lusk, and Ornelas. With the bases loaded, Weeks reached on a fielder’s choice for an RBI as Ruddy scored again. Sophomore shortstop Taylor Green got the 4th single of the inning to score Lusk giving Cypress a 6 run lead.
The Chargers kept up the hitting in the eighth. Green led off with his 14th double of the season. Freshman pinch hitter Shane Aguilar followed next with a single to center scoring Green. Freshman first Baseman Luis Barrera singled to right scoring Aguilar for the Chargers’ 10th and final run.
Cypress hopes to continue the success against a tougher opponent Thursday, Orange Coast. Orange Coast is the seventh seed in OEC tournament. Cypress has defeated the Pirates three times this year. The Chargers host the Pirate Thursday at 2:30 pm.
