Cypress Stays Alive with Revenge Win over Santa Ana
Etheridge pitched a complete game Saturday. |
Chargers move up on the season series count against the Dons.
May 21, 2006
Final Stats
Cypress, Calif. - The Chargers had been backed into a corner Friday after Santa Ana defeated them in the early game forcing Cypress into a situation where they had to win three straight games in order to move on to the State Championship. After defeating Grossmont Friday, the Chargers would have their revenge Saturday morning defeating the Dons 10-7. Sophomore right hander
Wes Etheridge made his second start of the season after earning the win Friday against Grossmont. Etheridge finished with a complete game after 134 pitches improving his record to 8-1.
The pace of the game started quick as the first two Chargers were retired after just three pitches. Sophomore shortstop
Taylor Green was able to slow down the pace walking and reaching second on a passed ball to get in scoring position. As was the case in the two previous games, the Chargers could not convert leaving Green stranded and ending the top of the first scoreless. Santa Ana would not do the same getting a solo homerun in the bottom half of the first to take the early 1-0 lead.
The Chargers would battle in the second. Freshman third baseman
Brandon Laird singled to right to start the offense. Sophomore first baseman
Blaine Wilson followed by being hit by a pitch to put two men on. Freshman outfielder
Kenny Lusk took advantage of a struggling Dons pitcher to take the first pitch for a single to right scoring Laird to tie the game at one. The tie would not hold long as Cypress gave up two earned runs in the third giving Santa Ana the 3-1 lead.
Cypress would answer in the fourth with a single in the right field gap by sophomore catcher
Matt Wallach. Wilson would walk next putting two men on and sophomore outfielder
Garrett Young walked to load the bases for sophomore second baseman
Joel Weeks. With two outs, Weeks would single to right for Wallach and Wilson to score tying the game at three. Green followed with a short double down the left field line allowing Young to score breaking the tie and giving Cypress their first lead of the game.
The fifth inning would prove fruitful for Cypress. Freshman designated hitter
Ben Ornelas started it off reaching first on an error. Laird followed with a single to left and was followed by a single by Wallach to load the bases with no outs. Wilson would take the third single of the inning to left scoring Ornelas. The Dons replaced the pitcher only to walk Lusk with the bases loaded to score Laird. Young would come up with a fielder’s choice to short allowing Wallach to score. Green was next with a single to center scoring Lusk but Young could not beat the throw to third ending the inning with four runs on four hits and an error to put the Chargers up 8-3.
The Dons would come right back at Cypress with two runs in the bottom of the fifth narrowing the Charger lead to three. The hitting continued for Cypress in the sixth. Sophomore outfielder
Mike Vass led off with a single to left, stole second, and reached third on a throwing error by the catcher. Laird came up with his third single of the game scoring Vass for the 9-5 lead. The Dons would not let Cypress run away with it scoring two more in the sixth and stranding three runners cutting the lead to two.
Etheridge struggled early but picked it up after 100 pitches retiring the Dons in order in the seventh after just five pitches. Cypress would not be denied in the eighth. Ornelas outran the throw with a single to second and moved to second on a wild pitch. Laird grounded out but moved Ornelas to third and Ornelas scored on a passed ball. Etheridge would have three more outs to go to move Cypress to the afternoon game. He forced a fly out, a ground out, and struck out the last batter looking to finish his complete game.
The victory kept Cypress alive and forced the seventh game of the tournament against Santa Ana. The game is do or die for both teams, the winner moves on to the final four state tournament next weekend, the loser’s season ends. The teams face off again at 3:00 pm.
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