Cypress Wins on Clutch Hit Again

Another National Classic game, another dramatic victory for Cypress.

The Centurions pulled out their second consecutive win in their final at-bat when pinch-runner Steve Clark scored from first base on Jason Filarey’s double in a 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Riverside Poly Tuesday at Esperanza High.

Zack Swanson, who gave Cypress a victory Monday when he singled with the bases-loaded, helped the Centurions’ cause again Tuesday when he reached on an error with two outs in the seventh.

Clark entered the game to run for Swanson, then scored after Filarey doubled to left and the relay throw, which arrived at home plate before Clark, went through catcher James Chapel’s legs.

Cypress (13-5), in its first appearance in the tournament, will play Esperanza at 7 tonight in a semifinal at Cal State Fullerton. Clark’s winning run came after Riverside Poly (13-6) had tied the score in the top of the seventh with two runs. Cypress starting pitcher Paul Mezzetta (6-3), who picked up his second victory in two days after making a relief appearance Monday, seemed to be out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam when Keil Fisher grounded to first baseman J.J. Lovejoy.

But Lovejoy let the ball get past him for a two-run error. He atoned for his mistake one out later by digging the ball out of the dirt on a throw from second baseman Rich Zarate, averting further damage.

Mezzetta, who struck out nine in a complete game, was at his best under pressure. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the second and a second-and-third, one-out mess in the third.

“I just tried to keep my composure so I could throw strikes and get my team back in the dugout,” Mezzetta said.

Said Cypress Coach Dave Lewis: “[Mezzetta] has been the mainstay of our pitching staff for two years. He doesn’t throw that hard, but he guts it out and does a great job battling.”

Mezzetta benefited from a couple of Poly baserunning blunders in the early going.

Kyle Thomas failed to score from second on Aaron Wible’s single to right-center in the second inning because he waited too long before breaking for third base. An inning later, Josh Willis held up too long at second base to see whether Donnie Murphy’s double to right off the base of the wall was going to be caught. Willis had to stop at third.

“We definitely had opportunities to win this game,” Poly Coach Aaron Moore said.

Thomas, Poly’s starter, struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings but threw five wild pitches.

Scott Moore scored from third on a Thomas wild pitch at eye level in the first inning to put Cypress ahead, 1-0, and Rusty Murray, who doubled and took third on a wild pitch in the sixth inning, came home on pinch-hitter Mark Fitzgerald’s sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

In another quarterfinal:

Esperanza 2, San Ramon California 1--Patrick Rooney hit a two-run homer in the third for the Aztecs (16-2) at El Dorado High. Matt Campbell struck out three in 5 2/3 innings to pick up his fourth win.

Esperanza second baseman Greg Farrell was held out of the game as a precaution after being hit in the head with a baseball Monday. One of Farrell’s teeth punctured his cheek and he received eight stitches. He is expected to play tonight with a protective mask attached to his batting helmet.

In a consolation game:

El Dorado 11, Diamond Bar 3--Mikah Hazen had three hits and four RBIs, and Brian Zurhellen had three hits and two RBIs for the host Golden Hawks (14-4).