COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Ginter Helps Cypress Get Past Fullerton

Keith Ginter, the all-time home run leader in Orange County high school history, hit his first collegiate homer Saturday and it was the difference as Cypress beat host Fullerton, 7-5, in 12 innings in an Orange Empire Conference game.

Ginter’s 12th-inning homer came off reliever Matt Wood (4-2). Brad Downing started the inning with a pinch-hit single and was replaced by pinch-runner Pete Lythgoe.

Ginter tried to bunt, but failed twice. He was able to work the count to full and, with Lythgoe going, hit Wood’s pitch over the left-center field fence.

“I knew I needed to put the ball in play,” said Ginter who hit 29 home runs in four years of varsity play at Fullerton High. “(The home run) was the best feeling I’ve had all year.”

The victory keeps Cypress (27-9-1, 14-5) a game in front of Rancho Santiago with six left.

Fullerton (27-11-1, 10-9) had a chance to score in its half of the 12th. Andy Tellez broke an 0-for-11 slump with a single to left to start. Mario Opipari replaced Ara Petrosian and gave up a single to Poncho Ruiz. Ruiz had earlier extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a first-inning single.

Opipari got the next two outs before giving up a single to Marc Anspach to load the bases. Then Derian Slayton grounded out to end the game.

Petrosian (3-1) gave up a hit and no runs in 3 1/3 innings for the victory. It was Opipari’s second save.

“We’re just trying to make the playoffs,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “We’ll worry about winning (the conference) if we have a chance in the last week.”

Israel Gonzalez had a two-run single in the first for Cypress, but Fullerton tied it with single runs in the first and second. Opipari had an RBI double in the fourth to put Cypress ahead, 3-2.

Fullerton took the lead, 5-3, with three runs in the fifth. Ruiz had a two-run triple and Matt Simpson added an RBI single.

Cypress loaded the bases in the ninth with no one out and got one run when Gonzalez grounded into a double play. Brooke Morris had a two-out RBI double to tie it, 5-5.

Fullerton’s Dan Bergmann had a first-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 17 games.

In other conference games:

Rancho Santiago 13, Riverside 2--Kyle Evans was two for three with a home run, double, four RBIs and three runs scored for Rancho Santiago (29-9, 13-6). Brian Carlson was two for three with two runs scored.

Saddleback 8, Golden West 7--Aaron Sepulveda’s two-out home run in the top of the ninth broke a 7-7 tie for visiting Saddleback (17-16, 8-11). The Gauchos trailed, 7-3, in the seventh, but scored two runs each in the seventh and eighth innings.

Ryan Johnson had two hits and scored three runs and Jose Gonzalez and Jon Lauderdale each drove in two runs for Saddleback.

Ken Miles had three hits and three RBIs for Golden West (11-27, 3-16).

In the Orange Empire Conference Women’s Tennis Championship:

Michelle Turner advances--Michelle Turner defeated second-seeded Leila Ryan, 6-1, 6-3, to advance to the finals on Tuesday at Saddleback College. Turner will face top-seeded Debbie Vonusa of Fullerton. Vonusa defeated Suzan Yildiz (Orange Coast), 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, to advance.

Turner also defeated third-seeded Ann-Marie Roseen, 6-4, 6-1, in the quarterfinals.

In doubles, the top-seeded teams, Michelle Carvajal and Lisa Salyer (No. 2) and Leila Ryan and Stella Tran (No. 1), also advanced to Tuesday’s final.