COMMUNITY COLLEGE STATE SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Cypress Takes Advantage of Orange Coast’s Mistake

Cypress and Orange Coast played this season with the Orange Empire Conference lead in the balance. But Friday they upped the ante, meeting in the second round of the State Tournament in Riverside.

Cypress took advantage of a throwing error to score three unearned runs in the fifth inning and went on to a 4-1 victory.

The Chargers advance to the winners’ bracket final at 8 tonight against the Palomar-Long Beach winner. The title game is 2 p.m. Sunday.

Trisha Bokano and Carrie Frederick singled in the fifth for Cypress (49-18). Susan Dugas then bunted to pitcher Kathy Shortall, who threw wildly to first. Bokano, Frederick and Dugas all scored on the play and Cypress led, 4-0.

OCC scored once and had the bases loaded in the sixth, but reliever Dena Villasenor got out of the inning.

Leigh Sager (13-7) allowed four hits and an unearned run in 5 1/3 innings for the victory. Shortall (9-4) took the loss.

In first-round games:

Orange Coast 2, Sacramento City 1--Stephanie Rogers had a two-run single in the top of the seventh for Orange Coast (27-13). Jill Bishop (18-10) pitched a five-hitter with three strikeouts for the victory. Sacramento fell to 41-9.

Cypress 4, Napa Valley 3--Jennifer Johnson walked to open the seventh and scored on an error for Cypress to break a 3-3 tie.