COMMUNITY COLLEGE STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Cypress Shocks No. 1 Sacramento

Troy Babbitt’s two-run double and Robert Legendre’s four-hitter helped Cypress upset top-ranked Sacramento City, 4-3, in the first round of the State baseball tournament Saturday at Union Stadium in Sacramento.

Babbitt’s two-run double came in the top of the ninth and put the Chargers ahead, 4-3.

It was the third postseason victory for Legendre, a freshman right-hander from Western High School. He struck out 12, including the side in the ninth around a one-out error by third baseman Babbitt.

Camino Norte Conference champion Sacramento (49-2-2) has been the top-ranked team in the state all season. Cypress (33-15) was the third-place team from the Orange Empire Conference.

“I don’t think these kids get intimidated,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “It takes something like that (Sacramento’s ranking) to fire them up. They tried to impress us by taking infield with 45 guys, but you can only play nine, and I like my nine a lot.”

Cypress plays Chabot at 11 a.m. today at Union Stadium, and Sacramento plays Riverside at 10 a.m. today at American River College in the second round of the double-elimination tournament.

Chabot defeated Riverside, 11-10, Saturday.

Legendre (9-4) struck out the first two batters in the second but then allowed a double and a walk. Sean Davisson, the ninth-place hitter, then hit a three-run home run.

Cypress finally broke through against Sacramento starter Mike McLain in the fifth when Kevin Cook hit his 12th home run to open the inning. Matt Wilson walked, went to second on a wild pitch, to third on a sacrifice bunt by Francisco Vega and scored on two-out single by Sean Drinkwater, who had three hits.

Jason Bates started the winning rally in the ninth with a one-out double deep to left-center, chasing McLain. Joe Moreno (2-1) came in and walked Drinkwater, then was replaced by Mike May.

May fell behind Babbitt, 3-1, before Babbitt crashed his 26th double to the fence in right. After Bates scored, Drinkwater, running from first, went right past Pickler--who was trying to hold him up--and scored as the relay throw was wild.