Katella Beats Cypress for Empire League Title

One swing of the bat was the difference between first and second place in the Empire League.

With two on and his team trailing by two runs in the fifth, Cypress catcher Bobby Brito, who has 10 homers this season, had a 3-2 count and was banking on a fastball. He got it, and drove it to the deepest part of left field at Boysen Park in Anaheim.

He just couldn’t drive it out. The ball was caught by the breeze, and then by Drake Gustafson at the base of the fence, who turned it into a double play, catching Josh Ennulat off second. And Katella, surviving its biggest challenge from Cypress, went on to a 2-0 victory Thursday.

By sweeping the two games between the teams this week, the Knights (20-6, 12-3) won their third consecutive league title. The Centurions (19-6, 11-4), who have never won an Empire League title, will finish second no matter what El Dorado does today because Cypress won the season series between the teams.

“I’d have to say this [title] is the sweetest,” Katella Coach Tim McMenamin said. “At the beginning of the year we had only three returning starters and a lot of question marks. This is a tribute to this group of kids.”

One of those question marks--right-hander Keawe Kuehnel--has become a resounding exclamation point. Kuehnel (8-2) gave up five hits over seven innings Thursday, following his game plan to perfection to outpitch Cypress starter Phillip Seibel (10-1).

He also broke the scoreless tie in the third with an RBI triple to right-center, scoring moments later on John Baldridge’s double to center.

But even Kuehnel, who took a few seconds to gather himself when the count reached 3-2 on Brito, wondered if the county co-leader in home runs had muscled one out.

“When he first hit it, I thought it was gone,” Kuehnel said. “But the outfield was making great plays all game.”