Cypress Opens Conference with a Win
Garcia pitched eight innings Thursday afternoon. |
February 26, 2009
Final Stats
Cypress, Calif. - Orange Empire Conference action started Thursday as Cypress opened their conference season hosting Orange Coast. Cypress fell behind early but scored steadily to win 5-3. Freshman Gabriel Garcia kept OCC to three runs pitching eight innings striking out eight batters, and allowing just one earned run on five hits and two walks.
The Cypress defense showed cracks early giving up two Pirate runs off of an error and a couple mental errors. After giving up two runs, OCC loaded the bases. Gabriel Garcia avoided more damage striking out the third out to move on to the bottom half. The Charger offense did not have any better luck striking out three in a row not even making contact once.
The Charger defense locked down in the second retiring the side in order including two strikeouts from Garcia. After coming up empty with five straight batters, sophomore centerfielder Ricky Eisenberg hit a homerun over the left center fence to get on the board with Charger run number one. After Eisenberg’s homerun came the most controversial call of the game as freshman shortstop Johnathan Morales was hit by the next pitch. The umpire determined the pitcher hit him on purpose and ejected both the Pirate pitcher and head coach.
Cypress tied it up in the fourth. Sophomore first baseman Stephen Kaupang led off with a double down the right field line and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore catcher Parker Berberet. Freshman designated hitter Corey LeVier singled to score Kaupang and tie it up at two.
The Chargers took their first lead of the day in the fifth. Sophomore right fielder Christian Ramirez singled and stole second. He moved to third on a single by sophomore left fielder Jonathan Hurst to left and then scored off an RBI fielder’s choice by Kaupang to take the 3-2 lead.
The runs kept trickling in for Cypress in the sixth. LeVier led off with a single and was replaced by sophomore Tyler Brady to run. Eisenberg followed with a single and both moved into scoring position off a sacrifice bunt by Morales. Freshman third baseman Dimitri DeLaFuente picked up an RBI with a sacrifice bunt as Brady slid home to score. Freshman second baseman Mike Barnhill added the second run with a triple off the centerfield wall scoring Eisenberg for the 5-2 lead.
Two Charger errors in the outfield handed Coast their third run cutting the Charger lead to two. It came down to the ninth. Cypress allowed the lead-off runner on second because of an infield single and another error, Cypress’s fifth of the game.
Cypress’s defense stumbled again giving up a run in the seventh off of two errors as Cypress led by just two. Freshman Travis Garrett came in to close in the ninth with a runner on second. With the tying run at bat, Garret retired three straight to earn the save. Garcia earned the win improving to 2-2.
Cypress has a day off before heading to rival Santa Ana to take on the Dons for the first time this season. Santa Ana is 12-4 coming off of a commanding 11-2 win over Riverside. The rivals face off Saturday at noon at Santa Ana.
