THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES : Southern California Baseball Regional Tournament : Cypress Twosome Comes Through Again

Jason Friedman and Mitch Kaylor have become a duo with a flair for the dramatic in recent games for the Cypress College baseball team.

The two players were at it again Friday when Cypress defeated Rancho Santiago, 4-3, in 11 innings in a Southern California regional game at Rancho Santiago in front of about 350.

Cypress, the home team, tied the score, 3-3, in the ninth inning on a bases-empty home run by Kaylor, his sixth.

The Chargers won it in the 11th when Kaylor scored from second on Friedman’s two-out single up the middle.

It was the same pair who led Cypress to its comeback victory two weeks ago against Fullerton. Cypress trailed, 4-1, going into the ninth, but Kaylor hit a two-run home run to tie it, 4-4. Friedman hit a two-run home run to win it, 6-4, later in the inning.

“We’re becoming a tandem,” Friedman said Friday.

Jeff Patterson (10-3) allowed eight hits in 11 innings for the victory. Losing pitcher Willie Navarrette (11-5) went the distance.

John McTaggart had a sacrifice fly and Sean Ramos had an RBI single as Rancho Santiago scored two runs in the sixth to take a 3-2 lead. Cypress scored single runs in the first and fourth.

Navarrette took the 3-2 lead into the ninth but fell behind Kaylor, three balls and a strike, to open the inning. Kaylor then lined the ball down the left-field line just above the fence.

“It was a fastball and I was looking for it,” Kaylor said. “I thought it might go off the fence or it could go out. I wasn’t sure so I just put my head down and ran.”

Steve Gill followed with a single and Friedman lifted a fly ball deep to left field, but McTaggart caught it near the fence. Doug Yates popped out and Brett Gregory grounded out to end the ninth. Each team was retired in order in the 10th.

Rancho Santiago had runners on second and third with two outs in the 11th when Louie Maldonado hit into a force play to end the inning.

Navarrette’s downfall started when he walked Terry Tewell to open the 11th. Kaylor then tried to sacrifice, but Tewell was forced at second. Gill flied out to center. Kaylor moved to second on a passed ball while Friedman was batting.

Navarrette fell behind Friedman, three balls and a strike, before throwing a called second strike. Friedman fouled off a ball then grounded the ball up the middle just past the glove of shortstop Tim Reynolds and Kaylor beat the throw to the plate to score the winning run.

“At first I thought he might walk me,” Friedman said about the final at-bat. “But after he came in with a good breaking ball to make the count full, I knew he was going to go after me.”

The hit for Friedman was his 79th of the season to break the single-season Cypress record.

Cypress plays Los Angeles Harbor in the second round at 11 a.m. today at Rancho Santiago. L.A. Harbor defeated Palomar, 18-8, Friday. Rancho Santiago plays Palomar in the losers’ bracket game at 10 a.m. at Fullerton College.

Dennis Burbank (12-4) will start for Cypress today.

Patterson’s performance was keyed by a decision to pitch inside, something he hadn’t done in his two losses to Rancho Santiago this season. Patterson also hit four batters.

“They (Rancho Santiago) always get in on the plate and I’ve tried to pitch away, and it really hasn’t worked,” Patterson said. “Today, I just had to establish the inside, and it worked.”