Sequoias Knocks Out Cypress, 4-3

Cypress College’s bid for a fourth consecutive state community college softball title, slowed by a loss Friday in the first round of the state tournament, came to an abrupt halt Saturday with a 4-3 loss to Sequoias in a second-round elimination game at the Buchanan Softball Complex.

Sequoias catcher Kaci Vickers ripped a one-out single down the third-base line, driving in Lashme Gomez from third with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

The Chargers (32-15-2), who have qualified for 12 consecutive state tournaments, bowed out after two games for only the second time during that span.

“I knew it was going to be tough coming in here,” Cypress Coach Brad Pickler said. “We didn’t play horribly, we just didn’t have the talent we had in the past.”

Cypress finished second in the Orange Empire Conference but got through the regional by trouncing Canyons and Pasadena (twice) by a combined score of 18-3.

Pickler said just getting to the state tournament made the season a success.

“It’s tough because girls come to Cypress expecting to win, but the truth is that you can’t win them all the time,” he said.

“Getting here is the gravy. I’d rather finish second in conference and get here than win conference and not get here. There are a lot of other schools who would have liked to go 0-2 here.”

Early on, it looked like Cypress would advance. Sequoias pitcher Tanya Wilson, who has pitched all but six innings in 42 games this season, labored through a 30-pitch first inning.

Cypress scored twice in the inning when Erica Duncan drove in Yvette Martinez with a single and then got in a rundown between first and second base, allowing Erica Harding to score.

Wilson settled down after that and Sequoias (26-16) fought back to tie it at 2-2 with runs in the second and third. Amber Miraya gave Cypress a 3-2 lead with a run-scoring single to right in the fourth, but Sequoias tied it in the bottom of the inning.

Cypress stranded runners at third in both the fifth and sixth innings.

“We had a couple of opportunities,” Pickler said. “We just didn’t get the clutch hit.”

Martinez, the only Charger with two hits, had a double and a triple.

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In another elimination game:

West Valley 3, Santa Ana 0--The Dons (29-16) managed only two hits against West Valley pitcher Shelly Bruno and were eliminated.

Santa Ana, which scored 13 runs in three Southern California Regional games, scored only two in two games at the state tournament.

“We were really flat offensively,” Santa Ana Coach Kim Nutter said. “And that’s what got us here. We did a great job getting here, I just wish we came out with a little more focus and intensity.”

Santa Ana’s best chance came in the first inning when the Dons loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter with two out, but they couldn’t score.