COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL : Cypress Takes Drama Out of Series

Cypress Coach Scott Pickler didn’t mind that the game lacked drama Saturday. What mattered was the Chargers’ 8-4 victory over Cuesta, giving them the first-round Southern California Regional series in two games.

Cypress, which won Friday’s game, 14-4, scored four runs in the second and two each in the fourth and sixth to take an 8-0 lead.

The real drama at Cypress was across the street on the softball diamond, where Scott’s brother, Brad, is coach. Brad Pickler’s Chargers won by staging a two-run rally in the seventh inning that drew the attention of most of the fans and many of the Cypress baseball players.

“I’m glad to see my guys have their heads in our game,” Scott Pickler joked during the ninth inning of the baseball game, which ended about 10 minutes after the softball game.

“That’s good that Brad won a close one,” Scott Pickler said. “I don’t need those. I’m older and have more gray hair. I’ll take a boring one.”

Doug McConathy opened the second by hitting his 10th home run of the season for Cypress (30-14).

After two outs, Matt Wilson singled up the middle and went to second on a walk to Francisco Vega. Wilson scored on Rob Utz’s single to right. Utz got in a rundown between first and second and Vega started for home. Cuesta shortstop Josh Simmons threw low to the plate for an error, allowing Vega to score. Utz then scored Jason Bates’ double.

Troy Babbitt had a two-run single in the fourth when Cypress took a 6-0 lead. Babbitt added an RBI double and Tom Puppe had an RBI groundout as Cypress got two more in the sixth and went up, 8-0.

Roger Weems (6-2) allowed a run and four hits in the first 5 2/3 innings for the victory.

Noe Najera allowed no hits, a walk and struck out four in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Carlos Castillo struck out three in the ninth, but also allowed three runs, one earned, and three walks.

It is the second consecutive season that Cuesta (27-16) has been knocked out of the playoffs by an Orange County team. Last year, Golden West swept Cuesta.

Cypress won the best-of-three series, 2-0, and advances to the second round of the regionals, which starts Friday.

The regional pairings are tentative but Cypress will play Los Angeles Harbor and Citrus plays Los Angeles Pierce in one double-elimination regional at L.A. Harbor.

Rancho Santiago plays Riverside and San Diego Mesa plays Cerritos in the other regional matchups at Riverside. The pairings and locations will be announced Monday.

In other regional games:

Rancho Santiago 11, Long Beach 4 (10 innings)--Rancho Santiago, the designated visitor, scored seven runs in the 10th to win the series, 2-0, in Santa Ana. Paul O’Hearn (10-0) pitched a four-hitter and had 13 strikeouts. He retired the final 11 batters he faced.

Jeremy Sherman scored on a double by Octavio Medina in the eighth to tie it, 4-4, and the pair repeated their performance in the 10th to give Rancho Santiago (38-9) a 5-4 lead. Mark Wasikowski had an RBI single, John Rodriguez added a two-run single, and Jeff White had an RBI double and two more runs scored on a throwing error in the inning for Rancho Santiago. Long Beach ends 21-22.

San Diego Mesa 14, Fullerton 4--Host Mesa, which won the series, 2-0, scored seven runs in the seventh to take a 14-1. Chris Johnson had two hits, including his eighth home run, and three RBIs for Fullerton (25-20). San Diego Mesa is 27-12.