Canyons Stunned by Antelope Valley as Streak Ends, 5-2

Top-ranked College of the Canyons, fielding perhaps its finest team ever, was stunned Tuesday by Antelope Valley, 5-2.

The upset ended a 14-game winning streak for the two-time state champion Cougars (20-3) and cuts their conference lead over Valley to two games. Valley beat Mission, 12-0, Tuesday.

“As I think back over the last two weeks, we’ve been flirting with this,” Canyons Coach Mike Gillespie said.

Canyons, ranked No. 1 in the latest Southland poll by JC sports information directors, nearly stumbled Saturday to Antelope Valley (2-6, 3-13 overall) before Don Erickson’s two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth saved the Cougars, 6-4. On Tuesday, Canyons found no savior.

Antelope Valley took advantage of two Canyons errors--the first breaking a 2-2 tie in the sixth on an errant throw by Canyons catcher Pete Kuld.

In the seventh, when Canyons pitcher Frank Halcovich overthrew first base attempting a pick-off, Antelope Valley’s David Hawkins advanced to third where he scored on a single by Mark Kaupp.

Hawkins scored again in the ninth on a sacrifice fly. Halcovich relieved starter Jeff Ward, who was the losing pitcher.

Antelope Valley pitcher Tony Smith, a sophomore right-hander who gave up nine hits while pitching a complete game, worked his way out of several jams, stranding seven Canyons runners.

“Hopefully, this will give us the incentive to do a lot better,” Smith said. “Maybe it will spark the team.”

Said Marauders Coach Ted Henkel: “I’ve been here three years and we’ve never beat them. This is a great win. I expected Canyons to climb all over us. But you don’t say too much when you beat Canyons.”

What you try to do is walk away with the victory, savor it, and hope Canyons (7-1 in conference) forgets. Gillespie hopes the loss will serve as a reminder.

“If we start playing well again, I hope we don’t forget this,” Gillespie said. “We may have thought we were too good, too unbeatable. Maybe it’s easy to say, but we may have been a little overconfident.”

The fact that Canyons wasn’t overpowering worries Gillespie more than his team’s complacency, he said.

“I’m disappointed that we’re not better hitters, better outs,” he said. “I’m concerned with the way our offense has gone backwards.”

Canyons scored its two runs in the second. Joe Pieper scored on an error, and Andy Cutchall singled home Victor Sotelo. Pieper, Sotelo and Cutchall bat seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively, perhaps illustrating Canyons’ recent offensive slump.