Sacramento Rallies, Bumps Off Cypress
The Cypress fans were on their feet yelling and the players in the dugout were poised to explode onto the field to celebrate a fourth state community college baseball title this decade.
But the Cypress party was canceled when Sacramento rallied for three runs in the ninth to beat the Chargers, 4-3, in the title game Monday at Fresno College.
Sacramento’s Joe Thurston doubled off the right-field fence to drive in the winning run.
The Panthers, who have won two consecutive state titles, beat Cypress, 19-3, earlier Monday to force a second game.
“It’s a tough one to swallow,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “We came close but we just didn’t get it.”
Cypress and starter Jake Moon entered the ninth with a 3-1 lead thanks to a three-run home run by Brandon Pack in the sixth inning.
But a single by Brett Clark, two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly by Rich Morton made it 3-2. Pinch-hitter David Raymer singled and Moon left in favor of John Fenoglio, who struck out Ryan Tash for the second out.
Fenoglio then had a 2-2 count on John Stone, who fouled off a tough pitch before ramming a knuckle-curve to the base of the fence in center to drive in Gallegos with the tying run.
Thurston, the tournament’s most valuable player, ended the game with a shot off the fence in right on another knuckle-curve. “That’s his pitch,” Pickler said, “and you want to get beat with your best.”
The loss ended an outstanding season for Cypress (37-14-1), which won the Orange Empire Conference by winning the final six games. The Chargers had rolled through the playoffs with seven consecutive victories before it all fell apart in the first game Monday. The Chargers made four errors, including three during a nine-run sixth that put the Panthers ahead, 13-1.
Cypress made no errors in the second game but still struggled to score. Pack’s home run, his 12th, came after singles by Shaun Larkin and Steve Hindman and a sacrifice bunt by Adam Spiker.
“This year we knew we had a great chance,” Pack said. “We wanted to win it but sometimes things don’t go your way for a reason.”
Cypress had a chance to score in the top of the ninth but a squeeze play failed.
Chris Klosterman opened the inning with a double and pinch-runner Joshua Snook took third on a sacrifice bunt by Ulises Cabrera. Michael Duursma was down 1-2 in the count when Pickler called for the squeeze. Sacramento’s staff called a pitchout and Snook was out in a rundown.
“Maybe it comes down to my call on the squeeze in the ninth inning,” Pickler said. “But we lived by the sword all year long. We had a guy on third and less than two out in the ninth inning and we didn’t score him, it may come back that.”