COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Golden West Rallies to Down Cypress, 5-4

Mark Murphy’s pitching and two key ninth-inning defensive plays helped Golden West to a 5-4 victory over Cypress in the Orange Empire Conference opener for both teams Saturday in Huntington Beach.

Murphy (2-0), a sophomore right-hander, entered to start the third inning with Golden West trailing, 3-0. He allowed a run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings of relief for the victory.

Alfredo Bernal got the final out for his second save.

Bernal entered with runners on first and second and two outs in the ninth. He got Charles Gipson to chop the ball toward third. Third baseman Jason Brissey went back and to his left to get it then threw to second for the final out.

Golden West shortstop Garrett DeGirogio went up the middle to get a ground ball and take a hit away from Gary Manley for the second out of the ninth.

Marty Osborne’s sacrifice fly in the seventh scored Brissey to break a 4-4 tie for Golden West (5-3-1, 1-0). Abijah Alastra had a double and two singles and drove in three runs for Cypress (10-4, 0-1).

--STEVE KRESAL

In other conference games:

Saddleback 3, Riverside 2--Reliever Karl Hartman got a ground out with two outs and runners on second and third in the ninth for visiting Saddleback (5-3-1, 1-0). Mark Wells hit his third home run for Saddleback in the sixth.

Fullerton 2, Rancho Santiago 1 (12 innings)--Visiting Fullerton (8-3-1, 1-0) scored a run on a fielder’s choice in the 12th. Rancho Santiago (6-5, 0-1) tied it, 1-1, in the ninth on a two-out home run by Aaron Butler. Nick Sciacca had homered in the seventh for Fullerton.

In Orange Empire Conference men’s basketball:

Saddleback 95, Golden West 81--Josh Borella set a Saddleback single-game record with 17 free throws and Jody Smith scored 26 points, 25 in the second half for host Saddleback (16-12, 7-5). Dee Boyer added 20 points and 18 rebounds for the Gauchos. Scott Campbell had 19 for Golden West (14-18, 5-7).

Cypress 67, Orange Coast 61--Flip Banks scored 17 points for Cypress (20-10, 7-5), which finished tied for second in conference with Saddleback. OCC ends the season 11-18, 3-9.

Fullerton 108, Riverside 97--Bob Terry had 27 points and Garry Hunter 25 for Fullerton (13-14, 5-7). Riverside finishes 20-13, 6-6.