Pickler Picks up His 700th Win in Commanding Fashion
Pickler got his 700th win Saturday. |
May 13, 2006
Final Stats
Cypress, Calif. - Scott Pickler joined an exclusive club Saturday notching his 700th career win with Cypress becoming the seventh California Community College coach to reach 700. His 700 wins is good enough for seventh on the all time list and second among active coaches. Pickler earned the win in a Southern California Regional game which ended with a score more like a football game than a baseball game. Cypress got 21 hits including a grand slam for the 20-7 win against Orange Coast. This was the first in a best of three series against OCC during the first round of playoffs. Sophomore outfielder Mike Vass belted his team leading 11th homerun of the season for a grand slam.
Freshman pitcher Josh Tamba started off on a roll striking out the first two batters on six pitches. He walked one and then struck out the last to end the first half inning. Cypress wasted no time when it was their turn at the plate. Freshman designated hitter Ben Ornelas led off the Charger offense with a walk. Sophomore third baseman Joel Weeks took a 3-1 pitch and drove it out of the park for the first homerun of the game to give Cypress the early 2-0 lead. Vass was hit by a pitch to reach first and then stole second to get in scoring position. Sophomore catcher Matt Wallach hit a double down the left field line for a stand up double scoring Vass and giving Cypress the 3-0 lead after the first.
Tamba got himself out of a jam in the third stranding three men on base by striking out the third out to leave the Pirates scoreless. The Chargers were behind in the third with two outs before Wallach got his second hit of the day with a single down the right field line. Freshman first baseman Brandon Laird followed by taking the first pitch out in center field for his sixth homerun of the season scoring Wallach and giving Cypress the 5-0 lead.
Cypress made it a quick one at the top of the fourth retiring three batters straight before a chaotic fourth inning at the plate. Sophomore outfielder Mike Evola led off with a single followed by a stand up double by Ornelas for men on second and third. Weeks was hit by a pitch to load the bases before sophomore shortstop Taylor Green walked to score Evola. With the bases loaded, Vass fouled off six pitches before getting a grand slam to center giving Cypress the 10-0 lead. Laird singled to left followed by sophomore outfielder Blaine Wilson’s single to left. Freshman second baseman Eddie Agredano was hit by a pitch to load the bases again for Cypress. Evola was up again and hit a fielder’s choice which was mishandled by the Pirates’ catcher which allowed Wilson to score. Ornelas was the next fielder’s choice. While the OCC catcher tried to turn a double play, he overthrew the ball allowing Evola to score. Cypress ended the fourth after 8 runs, 5 hits, and 2 errors for the 13-0 lead.
The fifth inning brought more of the same on a series of singles. Green singled to right to lead off before a single to right by freshman outfielder Kenny Lusk. Wallach singled up the middle allowing Green to score. Laird followed with a single to left allowing Lusk to score, before Wilson singled to center to load the bases. Agredano hit a fielder’s choice allowing Wallach to score. Five singles and a fielder’s choice gave Cypress the 16-0 lead.
OCC fought back in the sixth taking Cypress for 7 runs but it was not nearly enough as Cypress kept scoring. Lusk got a homer in the sixth for the Chargers’ 17th run of the day in the seventh. In the eighth, freshman outfielder Justin Ariki reached on a fielder’s choice. Designated hitter Luis Barrera reached on an error advancing Ariki to second. Weeks was up next driving a double to right scoring both Barrera and Ariki. As if on a mission for 20 runs, the Chargers scored one more in the ninth. Laird reached base on a fielder’s choice. Sophomore first baseman Sean Kalmen singled to right on his first at bat of the season moving Laird to second. Ariki singled to center to score Laird for the Charger’s 20th and final run. Tamba picked up the win on 5 innings with 8 strikeouts improving his record to 10-3.
The Chargers and Pirates face off again Sunday morning at 11:00 am. If the Pirates can win, they will force a game three to determine the first round Regional winner that will take place 45 minutes after the end of the morning game. The winner of this Regional round will move on to next weekend’s Super Regional which will be a double elimination tournament of four teams to determine which team goes to the State Championship.
