Cypress Sweeps Series with Allan Hancock

The Chargers made it two in row over the Bulldogs with a 9-5 win Thursday, and a 7-4 victory today.

• BOX SCORE - GAME 2 - CYPRESS 7, ALLAN HANCOCK 4
• BOX SCORE - GAME 1 - CYPRESS 9, ALLAN HANCOCK 5 

Daniel Poncedeleon

Cypress, Calif. - Cypress College hit double digits in the win column for the first time this season after beating the visiting Bulldogs from Allan Hancock College 7-4 in the second game of a split doubleheader that started on Thursday with a 9-5 win by the Chargers.

Charger starting pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon (2-0) got some early help from a big four-run bottom of the second inning, to pick up his second victory of the year. Poncedeleon threw a solid 5.2 innings of four-hit ball with five strikeouts and two runs allowed.

Four other Cypress hurlers came out of the bullpen to secure the victory for the Chargers (10-2) after the Bulldogs (2-9) battled back to get within two runs at 5-3.

Reliever Darren Gidley (1-1) earned his fourth save of the season after throwing a scoreless eighth and one-run ninth inning, which included stranding a pair of Bulldog runners on second and third with no outs in the top of the eighth inning, and homerun allowed in the ninth.

Pierce Bily (2 for 4, 2 RBI, 2 Runs) made the most of his return to the leadoff spot on Saturday by scoring the first run of the game on a Jake Clark (1 for 4) double play ground ball in the bottom of the first.

The Charger bats got right back after it against Allan Hancock's starting pitcher Cody Shrider (0-2) in the bottom of the second inning when they put four more runs on the board to open up a commanding 5-0 nothing advantage. Shrider would finish the inning, but his day was done after that. His closing line included five runs allowed - all earned - on six hits, three walks, no strikeouts, in two innings of work.

Trent Zaks (0 for 3, 1 Run) and Jake MacWilliam (0 for 1, 2 Runs, 2 Walks) both came in to score on a two RBI single by Bily to give Cypress a 3-0 edge in the ballgame. After Bily and Brad Hartong (2 for 2, 1 Run) pulled off a double steal of second and third base, Hartong came in to score on a single by Robert Chavarria, then Bily trotted home on a sac fly to left by Dylan Fitzgerald (2 for 4, 1 Run, 1 RBI) that put the Chargers comfortably ahead 5-0.

After scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to three, Allan Hancock added another run in the top of the seventh to make it a two-run ballgame.

Cypress answered back with a run in the bottom of the seventh, and another run in the eighth to stretch its lead back to four runs. Fitzgerald scored on a hard hit liner to first by Zach Alofaituli (0 for 3, 1 RBI) that the Bulldog first baseman couldn't handle. A perfectly placed drag-sac bunt by Anthony Razo in the bottom of the eighth scored MacWilliam from third base for the Chargers final run of the inning.

Hancock's Daniel Mallory (2 for 5, 3 RBI, 2 Runs, HR) hit his second home run of the series when he connected off of Gidley for a homerun over the centerfield wall in the top of the ninth inning. That finished off all the scoring for the game to give Cypress a 7-4 non-conference win, and a series sweep over the Bulldogs.


Chargers Cruise Past Bulldogs 9-5 in Series Opener

Alon Leichman

Cypress scored nine runs on 14 hits in a series opening victory over Allan Hancock College on Thursday.

Jake Clark hit his first home run of the season, and finished 2 for 3 at the dish with three runs scored and a pair of RBI. Fellow sophomore Brad Hartong (1 for 1, 2 Runs, 1 RBI) joined the homerun club as well when he deposited his first round tripper of the year over the wall in left field.

Razo (3 for 4, 1 Run) continued to swing a hot bat for the Chargers, while three other Cypress hitters chipped in with multiple hit efforts. Mike Marcoux finished the day 2 for 4 with an RBI, Dylan Moore went 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Jonathan Torres had a pair of hits in four at-bats, and came in to score both times. MacWilliam scored the other Charger run in the game, while Rowan Wick accounted for Cypress' only other other RBI.

On the mound, Ricky Schafer went to 2-1 on the year after picking up the victory coming out of the bullpen. Cypress starting pitcher Carl Robinson got the no-decision after coming out after four innings. Robinson was having a great strikeout day on the mound by fanning 7 of the 15 hitters he faced, and only giving up three hits and two runs.

Alon Leichman made his third appearance of the year after battling back from Tommy John Surgery, which kept him on the shelf for all of last season. Schafer's 2.2 innings of shutout ball kept the Bulldogs at bay and put Cypress in great position to win. Raleigh Rushing got his first save after tossing a scoreless ninth inning.

Cypress will open its Orange Empire Conference schedule next week with an away game against the undefeated Pirates from Orange Coast at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, before returning home to host Riverside C.C. on Saturday at noon.

Chargers Rally to Win in Ten

The Chargers scored twice with two outs in their last at bat.
  

Zach Alofaituli

Cypress, Calif. - Cypress College pulled off an amazing 9-8 come-from-behind win over El Camino College in the bottom of the tenth inning at home on Tuesday, when Anthony Razo came through in the clutch with a walk-off single that scored Pierce Bily for the game winner.

 The Chargers had their backs against the wall in the bottom of the tenth inning after a fielding miscue allowed El Camino to score the go-ahead run on a dropped routine fly ball that should have been out number three.

Warrior reliever, Michael Heredia came in to close the game for El Camino, and went right to work by putting the first two Cypress hitters down in order. El Camino looked to be in good position to hold on for an 8-7 road victory with Heredia dealing on the mound, but Cypress skipper Scott Pickler had other plans.

When freshman Zach Alofaituli heard his number called to pinch hit with two down, and nobody on base, he made the most of his opportunity to help the team by delivering a double down the left field line that kept Cypress alive. The next man up, Pierce Bily, drove in Alofaituli to tie the game at 8-8 with a hard hit ball to El Camino third baseman, Cole Trezek. Trezek tried to range to his left, but only managed to get close enough to have it bounce off the heel of his glove and roll onto the outfield grass. Alofaituli was running hard on the play, and scored easily from second to get the game back to even. Bily moved into scoring position after stealing second, then Razo delivered one of the biggest hits of his Charger career when his walk-off single to center brought home Bily to lift Cypress to the 9-8 non-conference victory over the Warriors.

Charger reliever Darren Gidley came into the game to pick up a save, but ended up earning his first win of the year after Cypress scored twice in their last at bat to win. Gidley had allowed a run in the ninth that tied the game, and an unearned run in the tenth that gave the Warriors the lead.

El Camino took an early three-run lead in the top of the first inning when Cypress starting pitcher Kyle Ferramola walked the first three batters of the game. One batter later, Pickler made the call to the bullpen for Josh Anderson. Anderson kept the Chargers in position to get back into the game by tossing a solid 3.2 innings of relief, with only one run allowed on three hits and three strikeouts.

Reliever Daniel Poncedeleon was in line for the win after holding the Warriors scoreless in the top of the seventh, before Cypress rallied from three-runs down in the bottom of the inning to take 7-6 lead.

Razo, Jake Clark and Jonthan Torres each finished with two hits on the day. Clark and Torres tied for the team-lead with two RBI's apiece. Parker Starr, Robert Chavarria, Bily and Razo's game winner accounted for the other Cypress RBI's in the game. Dylan Moore scored two runs, while Mike Marcoux, Bily, Razo, Clark, Torres and Starr all crossed the plate one time each. Chavarria and Torres both had big RBI doubles in the game.

The Chargers scored a run in each of the first three innings of the ballgame to battle back to even with the Warriors after spotting them three-runs in the first. El Camino regained the lead in their next at bat with one run in the top of the fourth inning.

The Warriors opened up their second three-run lead of the game in the fifth inning with two more scores that made it a 6-3 contest.

The Cypress bats were silent for the middle three innings, but a pair of singles by Razo and Moore to lead off the bottom of the seventh for the Chargers was just the spark Pickler was looking for. Clark singled in Razo for the first run of the inning, then Torres blasted a two-RBI double down the right field line that tied the game at 6-6. A ground out to third by Starr brought in the Torres to give Cypress its first lead of the game.

El Camino answered back with a run in the ninth to tie, and another in tenth inning to take a one run lead, but Cypress would have the final say in this matchup between two very good teams.

Cypress will host Allan Hancock College for a two-game set beginning this Thursday at 2 p.m. The second game of the series will begin at noon on Saturday. Those two games will be the final non-conference games on Cypress' 2012 schedule before opening the Orange Empire Conference regular season with a road game at Orange Coast next Thursday, March 1 at 2 p.m.

Cypress Erupts for 15 Runs in Win Over Grossmont

Ten Chargers combined for 18 hits in 15-8 victory over Grossmont College.

• BOX SCORE
  

Rowan Wick

El Cajon, Calif. - Cypress College baseball bounced back from a one-run performance on Friday, with an 18 hit offensive explosion against Grossmont College, in a 15-8 non-conference win on the road Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers' 18-hit day at the plate upped their previous season-high total of 16 hits set in their season opening, 18-4, rout of San Bernardino Valley. Cypress (7-2) also set season-high marks in at-bats (44) and doubles (5) against the Griffins (3-5). In both Charger victories over SBVC and Grossmont, nine of the ten Chargers to hit safely were the same.

On the mound, Cypress head coach Scott Pickler used five different pitchers, that combined for 10 strikeouts and eight runs allowed on 11 hits. Starting pitcher Raleigh Rushing gave up three runs - all earned - while fanning six in 4.1 innings.

Bryson Kauhaahaa picked up his first win as a Charger after coming in to pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Chargers ahead 7-6. After allowing Grossmont to tie the game at 7-7, centerfielder Anthony Razo got Cypress out of the inning with a bullet from center that cut down the Griffins' baserunner at the plate.

For Kauhaahaa, the timing couldn't have been better, as the Charger bats came alive in the top of the ninth inning to blow the game wide open with an eight-run at-bat that put Cypress out in front or good.

Dylan Moore (3 for 5, 2 Runs, 1 RBI), and Rowan Wick (3 for 5, 1 Run, 2 RBI) led the Cypress hit parade with a combined six hits at the plate. Jacob MacWilliam (2 for 4, 4 RBI, 1 Run) finished with a team-high four runs batted in, while Razo (2 for 4, 4 Runs) accounted for four of Cypress College's 15 runs by himself - including two in the top of the ninth.

The Chargers went up 2-0 in the top of third inning when Moore doubled in Razo for Cypress' first run of the game. Moore would eventually come around to score on a single to center by Jonathan Torres (2 for 5, 2 Runs, 2 RBI).

In the bottom of the fifth, Grossmont put together a five-run rally to take its only lead of the ballgame at 5-2, but Cypress would answer back in the top half of the sixth with an RBI sac fly by MacWilliam that brought in Torres, and a two-run homer by Wick that tied the game at 5-5.

Jake Clark (2 for 2, 2 RBI, 2 Runs), and MacWilliam drove in a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to give Cypress a 7-5 lead, but this time it was the Griffins turn to answer back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 7-7.

In the top of the ninth inning, the Chargers put on a hitting clinic that began with Razo's leadoff base hit. That would would be the first of six straight hits for Cypress in the inning, including a pair of singles by Razo and Torres, and four doubles by Moore, Clark, Parker Starr (1 for 5, 1 Run, 1 RBI) and MacWilliam.

All six players would come around to score. Later in the inning, Razo came around to score for the second time in the inning when Cypress relief pitcher Darren Gidley came through with an RBI pinch-hit single up the middle. Pinch hitter Cody Webster would account for the other Cypress run in the ninth that made it a 15-7 game heading to the Griffins final at bat.

Grossmont would get one back, but that was it as the Chargers held on for the 15-8 victory on the road.

Cypress returns home to take on El Camino College at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 21.

Chargers Fall in Extra Innings

Cypress fights hard until the end in close loss on the road.

• BOX SCORE

Chula Vista, Calif. - Cypress College (6-2) lost a tight 2-1 battle at Southwestern College (5-1-1) in 10 innings on Friday.

Chargers starting pitcher Carl Robinson had a good day on the mound, only allowing one run while striking out four in 6.2 innings of work. Southwestern starter James Billburg would end up going the distance to earn a rare 10 inning win. Billburg only allowed one run and four hits to the Chargers all afternoon.

Cypress shortstop Parker Starr collected half of the Chargers' hits with a 2 for 4 day at the plate, and the Chargers' lone run. Trent Zaks and Robert Chavarria had the other two hits against Billburg.

The Chargers got to Billburg first when they took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Starr hit a lead off double, then moved over to third on a sac bunt back to the pitcher. Pierce Bily's groundout to short brought Starr in from third.

Southwestern College tied the game at 1-1 after Cody Sos doubled in Andy Enriquez from second base in the bottom half of the seventh.

Stephen Derr came in to close out the seventh, then Darren Gidley came on in the eighth to keep the score tied at 1-1 until Southwestern's Justin DiStefano reached on a hit by pitch to leadoff the bottom of the tenth, then scored on an RBI walk-off single by Kiki Medina to give Southwestern a 2-1 non-conference win.

The Chargers play at noon on Saturday against Grossmont College.

Chargers Finish Off Homestand with 5-4 Victory overJo Desert

Cypress scores five runs on 10 hits hold on for a 5-4 victory at home.

• Box Score

Josh Anderson

Cypress, Calif. - Seven Cypress Chargers got hits in Cypress College's 5-4 non-conference victory over College of the Desert at home on Tuesday.

The Chargers (6-1) fell behind by three runs in the top half of the fourth inning, but bounced right back with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to put Cypress ahead of COD 4-3. An RBI single by Charger second baseman Robert  (2 for 3, 1 Run, 1 RBI) singled in Dylan Fitzgerald (1 for 3, 1 Run) for Cypress' first run of the game. Jake Clark (1 for 4, 1 Run) got the Chargers within a run after scoring on an error, then Anthony Razo put the Chargers in front for good with a single through the right side that brought in Chavarria and Hartong to make it a 4-3 ballgame.

Josh Anderson (2-0) came out to start the fifth inning for Cypress, and earned his second win of the season after a solid 3.1 innings of work, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three. Darren Gidley got his first save of the year after putting down the final two hitters in the eighth, and tossing a scoreless ninth to guarantee Cypress its sixth victory of the year.

A big double down the left field line by Dylan Moore in the bottom half of the seventh gave the Chargers a much needed insurance run when Mike Marcoux came into score from second after stealing his way into scoring position.

That run would turn out to be the difference after the Roadrunners put a run on the board in the eighth inning to get back within a run at 5-4, but Gidley's strong performance out of the pen stopped the Roadrunners chance for a comeback.

Cypress goes on the road this weekend to take on Southwestern College on Friday at 2 p.m., before heading over to Grossmont College on Saturday for a non-conference matchup set to start at noon.

Chargers Split Series with Merced

Derr pitches brilliantly out of the pen to lift Cypress to a win over Merced on Saturday.

• Box Score - Merced 8, Cypress 5
• Box Score - Cypress 6, Merced 4
  

Cypress, Calif. - Stephen Derr pitches 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to help Cypress College (5-1) earn a series split with Merced College (4-1) over the weekend.

Dylan Moore continued his hot hitting with a 3 for 5 day at the plate and one run scored. Charger catcher Cody Webster knocked in a pair of runs and scored once, Jacob MacWilliam, Jake Clark, Robert Chavarria and Brad Hartong chipped in with an RBI each.

After leading through three innnings, Cypress starter Daniel Poncedeleon (1-1) allowed a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning, and two more in the fifth. 

Cypress regained the lead in the bottom of the third when MacWilliam scored on a Merced fielding miscue to give Cypress a 3-2 advantage. The Blue Devils put two more runs on the board in their half of the fifth when Ricky Diaz singled through the left side to drive in Kirk Rocha and Grant Silva with go-ahead runs that put Merced out in front 4-3.

Cypress College skipper Scott Pickler brought in Stephen Derr (1-0) to shut down the Blue Devils the rest of the way. Derr fanned five, while only allowing two hits in 4.1 innings of shutout relief.


The Chargers would tie the game in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single by MacWilliam that brought Moore home from second, another in the sixth when Anthony Razo scored the eventual game winning run, and a big insurance run in the seventh courtesy of sophomore Brad Hartong's triple to the gap in left center that brought Jonathen Torres all the way around from first base to put Cypress ahead 6-4.


The Chargers would hold on to that lead, and earn a 6-4 non-conference victory over Merced College to split the two game series.

Merced hands Cypress its First Loss

Mike Marcoux's phenomonal day at the plate (3 for 4, 2 RBI, 1 Run), wasn't enough to overcome a 5-0 hole the Chargers dug in the first four innings of play. Torres and Razo each had a pair of hits for Cypress against the Blue Devils. Marcoux, Dylan Fitzgerald, Torres, MacWilliam and Razo acounted for the Chargers five runs scored in the game. Fitzgerald, Torres and Robert Chavarria accounted for Cypress' RBI's in the game.


On the hill, Cypress used six pitchers that combined for a total of eight strikeouts. Cypress's Alon Leichman saw his first action of the year when Pickler brought him in to throw a scoreless ninth inning.


Cypress gets back on the field again at 2 p.m. on Tuesday when they host College of the Desert. The Chargers earned an 11-2 victory over COD in the Desert at the beginning of the month.

Chargers Shoot Down Comets in Home Opener

Anderson pitches the Chargers to a 6-3 victory over Palomar College.

• BOX SCORE

Josh Anderson

Cypress, Calif. - Cypress College baseball won its fourth game in as many tries with a 6-3 victory over Palomar College (1-2) in its home opener on Wednesday.

The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was rescheduled due to the threat of rain.

The Chargers got on the board early against the Comets by scoring the first three runs of the game in the bottom of the first, second and third innings. Jake Clark (3 for 3, 3 RBI) drove in his first of three RBI on the afternoon when he singled in Robert Chavarria (2 for 2, 2 Runs) to give Cypress a 1-0 lead. Parker Starr (2 for 4, 1 Run) made it a 2-0 game when he and teammate Jacob MacWilliam (2 for 4, 1 Run) pulled off a perfectly executed double steal of second and home.

Another Clark RBI in the bottom half of the third inning gave Cypress a 3-0 advantage after Dylan Moore (2 for 5, 2 runs) came in to cross home plate. Palomar rallied back for a run in the fifth inning, and another in the sixth off a solo home run to left off the bat of Casey Munoz that made it a one-run game at 3-2. That was the end of Cypress starting pitcher Josh Anderson's day, but Anderson left the game in line for the win after tossing 5.1 solid innings to earn his first victory of 2012.

Bryson Kauhaahaa finished out the inning to keep Cypress on top by a run. Stephen Derr came in to shut Palomar down in the top half of the seventh, before Cypress added another two runs in the bottom of the inning when Moore and Chavarria each came into score.

The Comet's Tommy Cheek doubled in pinch runner Daniel Lack for Palomar's final run of the game. Cypress would tack on one final run in the bottom of the eighth inning thanks to a couple Palomar miscues in the field that allowed MacWilliam to score the Chargers sixth run of the game to make it a 6-3 final.

As a team, Cypress combined for 13 hits at the plate, while only allowing three runs on the mound.

The Chargers will take on Merced College in a pair of games this weekend at Cypress College. The first pitch Friday is set for 2 p.m. Saturday's game is scheduled for noon.


Hightlight video of Jake Clark's first inning RBI. Robert Chavarria scores on the play.

Video shot by Cypress College Public Information Officer Marc Posner.

Cypress Opens Season Perfect

Cypress scored a combined 38 runs in its three wins over San Bernardino, Chaffey and COD.

Dylan Fitzgerald

Palm Desert, Calif. - The Cypress College baseball team (3-0) swept its season opening three game set against San Bernardino Valley College, Chaffey College, and host College of the Desert this past weekend on the road at Palm Desert.

Cypress Pounds College of the Desert 11-2 to Finish Three Game Sweep

• BOX SCORE

The Chargers closed out the three game sweep with an 11-2 win over host school College of the Desert. Jacob MacWilliam (2 for 3, 3 RBI, 1 Run) hit a two-run bomb on his way to a three RBI day at the plate. Robert Chavarria (3 for 3, 2 RBI, 2 Runs) and Cody Webster (3 for 3, 1 RBI) went a combined 6 for 6 at the dish. Jonathan Torres, Jake Clark and Dylan Fitzgerald drove in the Chargers other four runs in the game.

Kyle Ferramola earned his first win of the year after giving up two runs on three hits in five innings on the mound. Josh Anderson, Bryson Kauhaahaa and Rowan Wick combined to pitch four shutout innings out of the pen.

Cypress Goes to 2-0 with 9-6 Win over Chaffey

• BOX SCORE

Cypress pushed its record to 2-0 on the season with a 9-6 victory over Chaffey College. Dylan Moore was nearly perfect at the plate with a 4 for 5 effort, and a pair of runs scored. Anthony Razo (2 for 5, 3 RBI, 2 Runs) and Cody Webster (1 for 3, 3 RBI, 1 Run) sparked the Charger attack at the plate by driving in six of Cypress' nine runs against Chaffey.

Starting pitcher Daniel Poncedelion (1-0) gave up three hits and struck out five in five innings of work to pick up the victory.

Cypress Opens Season with 18-4 Rout Over San Bernardino

• BOX SCORE
  

The Chargers' offense exploded for 18 runs in a season opening 18-4 rout over SBVC on February 3. Dylan Fitzgerald (2 for 5, 5 RBI, 2 Runs) hit his first home run of the season, and finished with a team-high five RBI on the afternoon. Pierce Bily paced Cypress' 16 hit attack at the plate with a 4 for 7 day that included 3 RBI and a pair of runs scored. Jake Clark knocked in three runs and crossed the plate once.


Ricky Schaeffer (W, 1-0) picked up his first victory as a Charger after coming on to relieve starter Bryson Kauhaahaa in the bottom of the first inning. Schaeffer tossed six scoreless innings, while fanning six.