By Wes McCurtis
CYPRESS, CA – The Cypress College baseball team (25-10, 9-7 OEC) won their seventh consecutive game on Tuesday with a 12-1 victory over district rival Fullerton College (14-21, 2-14 OEC). The win streak is the longest of the season with 2 games remaining in their series against the struggling Hornets.
Andrew Quezada (7-1) received the win for Cypress after allowing just 2 hits with a season high 9 strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Willie Aguilar (3-for-4, HR, RBI) and Pierson Loska (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI) paced the Cypress offense.
Fullerton starter Garrett Molnar (2-6) received the loss after allowing 6 hits and 8 runs, including 3 earned runs, in 4.0 innings on the mound.
The Chargers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, scoring runs in each the second and third inning. Cypress did most of their damage with a 6-run rally in the fourth inning. With the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the fourth, Trevor Fonseca (0-for-3, RBI) sent a hard hit grounder to third base. It looked as if Fullerton would turn a double play and get out of the inning, but Fonseca reached on a throwing error by the third baseman and Angel Ortiz (1-for-2) would score. With runners on second and third Aguilar was hit by pitch to load the bases. Brandon Alamo (2-for-4, 4 RBI) answered the bell with a 3 RBI double off the right field wall to give the Chargers a 6-0 lead before Loska drilled a 2-run HR over the left field wall to make it an 8-0 game.
Cypress added 2 additional runs with a sacrifice fly in each of the next 2 innings, giving them a 10-0 lead heading into the seventh. Fullerton's Aaron Lizarraga (1-for-2, HR) provided the Hornets only run of the game with a solo shot over the center field wall to make it 10-1. Logan Swofford (1-for-1, HR) entered the game to pinch hit for Cypress and answered with a solo HR of his own in the bottom of the seventh before Aguilar added the exclamation point with another solo HR in the eighth as the Chargers went on to win 12-1.
Cypress will travel to take on Fullerton for game 2 of their series on Thursday, April 20 at 2:00 p.m.
Stay connected with the Chargers through social media. Follow Cypress College Athletics on Twitter @CypressChargers. Check in with the Chargers on Facebook/CypressChargers and on Instagram @CypressChargers.
