Fresno, Calif. - For the second season in a row, Cypress opened the State Championship tournament facing the Panthers of Sacramento City. The Chargers held on to their lead in the ninth for the narrow 8-7 win to progress in the winner’s bracket of the final four tournament. Sophomore third baseman Brandon Laird led the Chargers going 3 for 4 including a two-run home run and a double.
The Chargers started with promise with runners on first and third in the first but stranded them unable to score. The Panthers scored instead taking advantage of a hit batter, a walk and a single to take the early 1-0 lead. Cypress converted in the second when sophomore left fielder Marco Martelli doubled down the left field line followed by an RBI single to center from sophomore catcher Bubba Ruddy to tie it up at one. Sac City took the lead back at the bottom of the inning with another run.
Both teams were scoreless for a couple of innings until Cypress tied it up again in the fifth with back-to-back doubles. Sophomore second baseman Bryan Resnick doubled down the left field line followed by a carbon copy double from sophomore center fielder Ben Ornelas to score Resnick and tie it up. The Chargers took their first lead of the game in the seventh. Freshman center fielder Ricky Eisenberg started it with a single to left followed by Laird’s home run. The Panthers scored another run at the bottom of the inning as Cypress held on to a 4-3 lead. Both teams kept pace with each other in the eighth. Freshman shortstop Tyler Marmion drove in a run on an RBI single to left center which was matched by a Panthers run.
The Chargers broke it open in the ninth started by a double to right from Eisenberg. Laird reached on an intentional walk and sophomore left fielder Grant Rachlin loaded the bases with a single. Freshman pinch hitter Brian Burke brought in the first run with a single to left and kept the bases loaded. Freshman first baseman A.J. Smith finished it off with a double down the left field line to score Laird and Rachlin extending their eighth inning one run lead to a comfortable four run lead going into the bottom of the ninth. That comfortable four run lead became less and less comfortable as Cypress allowed run after run until the Panthers were down by just one. With two runners on, freshman pitcher Michael Olmsted struck out the last batter swinging holding on to the lead and the win.
Sophomore pitcher Casey Arbiso earned the win improving to 2-3 on the season pitching two innings and allowing one run and two hits. Sophomore Mike Pratali was Cypress’s starting pitcher going four and a third innings allowing two runs on five hits. Olmsted earned his third save of the season striking out three batters in two and two-thirds innings allowing three earned runs on three hits.
Cypress improves to 30-20 and move on to the winner’s bracket to face the winner of game two between Riverside and host Fresno City. Cypress will play the winner Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm at Fresno City College.
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Laird had a two-run home run Saturday afternoon.
