Cypress Drops Season Series to Saddleback

Six run inning Cypress is too much to overcome in a 7-2 loss at Saddleback.


BOX SCORE

Mission Viejo, Calif. - Cypress College held a one-run lead through 6.5 innings, but a six-run seventh by Saddleback College (10-18, 4-10) secured the Orange Empire Conference victory for the Gauchos at home on Tuesday.

Pierce Bily turned in a solid performance for the Chargers (19-10, 6-8) with a 3 for 4 day at the plate with one RBI and a run scored. Brad Hartong was 2 for 4, while Dylan Fitzgerald, Jake Clark, Parker Starr and Alex Newman each chipped in with a hit apiece. Newman scored the Chargers other run on the afternoon.

Cypress starting pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon cruised through six innings by only giving up one run to the Gauchos, but a rocky seventh chased him from the game with one out in the inning. Ricky Schafer allowed the other three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

The Chargers got on the board first in the top of third when Newman hit a single, moved to second on a ground out, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on a Saddleback error to make it a 1-0 ballgame.

In the bottom of the inning Saddleback tied the game at 1-1, but Cypress went back ahead in the top of the fifth inning on a solo homer by Biley that made the score 2-1.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh when Saddleback broke the game open with a six-run at-bat, and take a 7-2 lead. Cypress wasn't able to score again in its final two at bats.

The Chargers return home to play the Gauchos in a tiebreaking third and final time this season.