COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Cypress’ Cosgrove Stops Moorpark

Mike Cosgrove of Cypress College was one of the more impressive pitchers early this season before slumping in the final month.

He regained his dominating form Friday, pitching a five-hitter as host Cypress beat Moorpark, 8-4, in a Southern California playoff game.

Cosgrove (8-1) failed to get past the sixth in his two previous starts and appeared tired at times.

But he had nine days off before the game Friday and was sharp from the outset.

He struck out five and got 15 ground-ball outs thanks mostly to his sinker and slider.

“My last three or four outings haven’t been too impressive,” said Cosgrove, a freshman right-hander from Cerritos High. “Today, we were just doing our job basically. I was throwing strikes and we played good defense.”

Moorpark, helped by a hit batsman, a throwing error and a passed ball, scored three runs in the second despite getting only one hit in the inning.

Jeff Pickler had an RBI triple and scored on a wild pitch as Cypress scored twice in the third to tie it, 3-3.

Pickler broke the tie in the fifth with a two-run single up the middle. He finished with three runs and three runs batted in.

“Little Pick and Cosgrove came up big for us today,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “That was the Cosgrove that we saw earlier in the year.”

Cosgrove retired 18 of 21 from the third to the eighth and Cypress scored singled runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to increase the lead.

Mario Opipari had two hits, reached base four times, and scored three runs and Augie Ojeda had a single and a sacrifice fly and scored two runs for Cypress (31-13-1), the defending State champion.

Moorpark (27-14) is at Cypress at 11 today and needs to win twice to advance.

In other baseball playoff games:

Saddleback 8, Chaffey 7--Jose Gonzalez hit for the cycle and Ryan Johnson, playing on his 21st birthday, had the game-winning hit as visiting Saddleback (23-17) upset Chaffey (30-10).

Johnson had three hits and scored three runs. His RBI single to right in the eighth inning broke a 7-7 tie. Pat Antrim’s RBI single earlier in the inning tied it. Antrim’s hit was his 66th, a Saddleback single-season record.

Gonzalez had a three-run home run in the sixth to put the Gauchos ahead, 5-4. He had a single in the eighth, a double in the fourth and a triple in the second.

It was the seventh consecutive victory for Saddleback, which is at Chaffey at 11 today. It needs one more victory to advance.

Rancho Santiago 11, San Diego Mesa 8--Host Rancho Santiago, the top-seeded team in the playoffs, scored six times in the seventh to open an 11-1 lead, then hung on. Kyle Evans had a three-run double in the fifth to put Rancho Santiago (35-9) ahead, 4-0.

Ryan Fullerton had a two-run double and Evans and David Schueller had RBI singles in the seventh for the Dons.

Rancho Santiago plays host to San Diego Mesa (22-19) at 11 a.m. today and can close out the series with a victory. Kirk Irvine (9-3), the Dons’ ace, is expected to start.

In the Southern California playoffs:

Rancho Santiago 5, Mt. San Antonio 3--Grizelda Lopez singled to drive in Renee Taylor to break a 3-3 tie in the fifth for host Rancho Santiago. Courtney Kerley added an RBI single in the sixth as for Rancho Santiago (31-10), which is one victory away from the State tournament.

Amy Tessman (20-7) survived four errors and pitched a four-hitter for Rancho Santiago. She is the sixth pitcher in the college’s history to win 20 games in a season.

The Dons beat Pasadena, 8-0, earlier Friday. Christina Mazuire had a double and a home run, drove in three runs and scored two more. Taylor had two hits and two RBIs also for Rancho Santiago.

Cypress 6, Hancock 2--Host Cypress (46-8) sent 11 players to the plate and scored six runs in the fourth inning. Christa Saindon capped the inning with a two-run single, giving her a Cypress single-season record 41 RBIs.

Jenn Allchin started the inning with a double to the fence in left field and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Stephanie Bloomingdale. Alison Murphy, Jenny Lopez and Rockie Breig had RBI singles in the fourth for Cypress.

Debbie Goddu (16-3) struck out six in five shutout innings for the victory for the Chargers, who need to win once today to advance to the State tournament.