Cypress After Fourth State Title in Row

Cypress will have its sights set on a fourth consecutive state title when play gets under way today in the community college state softball tournament in Clovis. The Chargers play Sacramento (36-10) at 2 p.m.

Cypress, making its 12th consecutive appearance in the tournament, has four titles, having also won in 1991. The Chargers have won nine consecutive state tournament games and 18 playoff games in a row.

Shortstop Koral King, who has signed with Baylor, leads Cypress (32-13-2) with a .433 average, three home runs and 37 runs batted in. She reached base in 11 of 13 plate appearances during the regional playoffs last week, going seven for nine with five RBIs.

Lisa Monreal is 20-7 with a 0.98 earned-run average for the fifth-seeded Chargers.

Cypress is a combined 6-8-1 against the seven other teams in the tournament. The Chargers are 1-8-1 against the four higher-seeded teams.

Santa Ana (29-14) upset Fullerton in the regional playoffs to earn its first berth in a state tournament since 1995. The Dons finished fourth that year. Santa Ana, which won state titles in 1985 and ‘86, meets Merced (41-6) at noon today.

Wendi Kralich is 25-13 with a 1.27 ERA and also leads Santa Ana with 31 RBIs.

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Softball

* What: Community college state championships

* Where: Buchanan Softball Complex, Clovis

* When: Today-Sunday.

* Today’s schedule: Game 1, noon--Merced (41-6) vs. Santa Ana (29-14); Game 2, noon--Palomar (43-6) vs. West Valley (31-14); Game 3, 2 p.m.--Sacramento (36-10) vs. Cypress (32-13-2); Game 4, 2 p.m.--Long Beach (41-5) vs. Sequoias (25-15); Game 5, 5 p.m.--Merced-Santa Ana winner vs. Palomar-West Valley winner; Game 6, 7 p.m.--Sacramento-Cypress winner vs. Long Beach-Sequoias winner.

* Saturday’s schedule: Game 7, noon--Merced-Santa Ana loser vs. Palomar-West Valley loser; Game 8, noon--Sacramento-Cypress loser vs. Long Beach-Sequoias loser; Game 9, 2 p.m.--Game 5 loser vs. Game 7 winner; Game 10, 2 p.m.--Game 6 loser vs. Game 8 winner; Game 11, 5 p.m.--Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner; Game 12, 7 p.m.--Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (semifinal).

* Sunday’s schedule: Game 13, noon: Game 12 loser vs. Game 11 winner (semifinal); Game 14, 2 p.m.--Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner (final); Game 15, 4 p.m. (if necessary)--Game 14 winner vs. Game 14 loser (final).