Cypress Scores Without a Hit, Wins
Mike Cosgrove earned his 15th career victory for Cypress by pitching a nine-hitter as the Chargers beat host Golden West, 4-3, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game Thursday.
The score was tied, 2-2, but Cypress scored twice in the seventh without a hit.
Cypress loaded the bases on a walk, an error and a hit batter with one out. Randy Case grounded into a force play that enabled the go-ahead run to score and an error on the same play permitted the second run to score.
“We did a few of the little things,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “We’ve got to pitch and play defense in order to win.”
Golden West got one back on a double by Charlie Tuggle and a run-scoring single by John Matlock with two outs in the seventh.
But Cosgrove (6-0), a sophomore right-hander, then retired the final seven. Cosgrove, who was 9-1 as a freshman, struck out seven and walked none. He needed only four pitches in the ninth to get three ground-ball outs.
Cosgrove is in second on the all-time Cypress victory list, two behind Aaron France (1993-94) and Randy Newman (1979-80).
Jeremy Booth had two doubles, scored a run and drove in another for Cypress (18-5, 6-1), which moved into sole possession of first because Fullerton lost to Saddleback. Brian Flanagan added an RBI single for the Chargers.
Tuggle had a triple, double and single and scored twice for Golden West. Adam Bass also had an RBI double for Golden West (9-8, 3-4), which had its three-game conference winning streak stopped.
In other conference games:
Saddleback 7, Fullerton 6 (11)--Corrie Willkie singled home run winning run in the 11th with no outs for host Saddleback (10-7-1, 2-5). The single scored Tavares Comeaux, who singled and went to third after a throwing error on a pick-off attempt at first.
Jon Lauderdale had two doubles and drove in two runs. Jason Theis had a single, double and his fourth home run for Fullerton (14-4, 5-2), which fell out of first place.
Riverside 12, Orange Coast 12 (suspended, darkness)--Mike Stevenson, in his first at-bat of the season, singled in two runs in the 12th inning for host OCC. The game will be completed at a later date. Stevenson, who is a pitcher, was hitting because OCC had run out of position players.
Orange Coast’s Craig Ritter had a two-run triple in the ninth to tie it, 9-9, also for OCC.
In Orange Empire Conference softball:
Irvine Valley 5, Riverside 4--Rheanna Leedy had three hits, an RBI and a run scored for Irvine Valley (12-11-1, 1-4). Tami Harris went three for three, with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. On the mound, Harris (5-5) gave up two hits, walked five and struck out four.
Rancho Santiago 1, Saddleback 0--Remy Amaro doubled in Kristi Bolle with the only run in the first and Sheryl Anderson pitched a four-hitter for host Rancho Santiago (14-13-1, 2-3). Bolle had two doubles for Rancho Santiago. Saddleback is 14-5, 3-2.