CYPRESS, CA- The Cypress baseball team (13-7, 9-3 OEC) hosted Fullerton College (5-15, 2-13 OEC) in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon. The Chargers finished the four-game series in walk off fashion with a 12-11 victory, after falling in game one, 9-5.
GAME 1
Noah Karliner (1-for-4, 3 RBI), Matthew Oliden (2-for-2, 1 Run), and Nico Alex (1-for-4, 1 run) led the offense for the Chargers in game one. Carson Frazier pitched three solid innings in relief, striking out four batters. Carter Kay (1-for-2, 2 RBI) led the Hornets at the plate and Adam Armstrong threw two innings of relief, striking out three.
The Chargers came into Friday's game looking to win the four-game series with Fullerton after splitting the first two matchups. The Hornets looking to do the same, put up six runs in the top of the first inning after a flurry of errors by Cypress. Noah Karliner answered in the bottom of the first with a three-run home run over the left field wall. The Chargers trailed all game and made their last effort in the fifth inning when Adam Yamashita knocked in Nico Alex on a fielder's choice. The Chargers trailed, 7-5, but were unable to make up the defecit. Fullerton added two more runs in the top of seventh and went on to win, 9-5.
GAME 2
Pu'ukani De Sa (2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 runs) led the Chargers in RBI's with four, followed by Coby Morales (3-for-5, 2B, 1 run) with three. Dalton Sloniger (1-for-4, 2 RBI) went deep for the Chargers. Troy Taylor got the start on the mound for Cypress. He went four innings, giving up three earned runs, walking five, and striking out five. Former Cypress pitcher, Anthony Diaz, got the start on the mound for Fullerton lasting five innings and giving up four earned runs.
In game two, Cypress flipped the script and hopped on the Hornets early. Coby Morales doubled to right knocking in De Sa for the first run of the game. Next man up was Dalton Sloniger who hit his second home run of the season putting the Chargers up, 3-0, in the bottom of the first. After a quiet second inning Fullerton got on the board with one run in the third inning and three more in the fourth to take the lead. Coby Morales knotted the game up in the fifth with a single to center field scoring David Canales. The Chargers gave up three homeruns in the sixth inning and another in the seventh as they watched Fullerton take an 11-4 lead. Pu'ukani De Sa got the Cypress comeback started in the seventh with a three run shot to cut the deficit to four. After scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth, Coby Morales walked up to the plate with two outs and Andrew Sojka on third base. After a tough at-bat Morales singled to right field scoring Sojka. The Chargers would go into the ninth tied 11-11. Cypress got into some trouble early in the ninth inning, but pitcher, Raul Herrada, came in to record the final two outs of the innning striking out the final batter. In the bottom of the ninth Brenden Harris got it started with a single to center field. Ricky Lane then doubled putting runners at second and third with one out in the inning. Matthew Oliden pinch hit, but was intentionally walked to set the stage with the bases loaded for Andrew Sojka. Sojka came through with a hard ground ball to the left side of the infield to score the game-winning run for the Chargers.
NEXT UP: Cypress will be back at home on Tuesday, May 18th, to take on Orange Coast College. The first pitch will be at 2pm.
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