Late Game Heroics Put Cypress Ahead in Season Rivalry Series
Hewitt drove in the winning runs Tuesday afternoon. |
March 24, 2009
Final Stats
Santa Ana, Calif. - Cypress traveled to Santa Ana Tuesday for their third and final game in the regular season rivalry series. The Chargers broke the tie late and held off the Dons for the narrow 6-5 win to take the 2-1 lead in the season series. Sophomore Mark Hewitt came off the bench to pinch hit and picked up the two RBI for the go-ahead and game winning runs.
The Chargers got ahead first with three runs in the second. Freshman pinch hitter David Silvas led off with a single to right and reached second on a passed ball. Cypress scored two straight runs from there off a single by freshman center fielder Jordan Foreman and a double by freshman third baseman Dimitri DeLaFuente. DeLaFuente moved to third after a single and tagged up to score thanks to a sacrifice fly by sophomore left fielder Jonathan Hurst giving Cypress the 3-0 lead.
Santa Ana picked up a solo homerun in the bottom of the second and then two runs in the fifth tying the game at three runs a piece. Cypress got ahead again with a run in the sixth. Sophomore second baseman Garrett Leon reached on a walk and advanced to third after a bunt and a fly out. Freshman shortstop Johnathan Morales’s single scored Leon giving Cypress a brief one run lead. The Dons got it right back in the bottom of the inning knotting up the score again.
While both teams were close to scoring in the next two innings, the game would be determined in the ninth. Sophomore first baseman Stephen Kaupang reached after a strikeout passed ball and sophomore catcher Parker Berberet followed by being hit by a pitch. Freshman second baseman Mike Barnhill moved both into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Hewitt came off the bench for the go ahead runs scoring both with a single up the middle. Santa Ana had to make up two runs in the bottom of the ninth. They started the inning with two straight hits and scored a run. They got two runners in scoring position with two outs down threatening to tie or win. Sophomore pitcher Travis Garrett took care of business forcing a fly out and ending the game in Cypress’s favor.
Garrett earned the win improving to 2-2. Freshman Gabriel Garcia started the game pitching the first four-and-a-third innings allowing three earned runs on four hits, a walk, and three hit batters. Sophomore Matt Wolfrom also made an appearance allowing no runs in two innings of work.
Cypress improves to 18-9 and 7-4 in conference. They begin a two game series against Irvine Valley Thursday. Cypress defeated the Lasers 8-5 earlier this season. They face off again Thursday at 2:00 pm at Irvine Valley.
