TORRANCE, CA – Facing elimination, the No. 11 seed Chargers (30-14) answered the call, picking up a huge road victory in game two of their best-of-three CCCAA Super Regional Series over No. 2 seed El Camino (35-7) on Friday, 2-1.
Sophomore pitcher Reid Sebby (W, 7-3) shut down the Warriors for 8.1 innings, allowing just one unearned run on 7 hits, while collecting 4 strikeouts. Sophomore reliever Cristian Lopez (Sv, 3) earned his third save of the season, forcing a line out to right fielder Aaron Halpert, who made a throw to third with a runner advancing to get the final out.
After six scoreless innings, Cypress took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh. Mariano Ricciardi (2-for-3) hit a double to left field, before Isaiah Stewart (1-for-3) followed up with a single to put runners on the corners. Eric Bigani (0-for-4) scored Ricciardi on a bunt that the Warriors could not field cleanly to score the first run of the game.
Cypress added another run in the eighth inning after Matt Kirk (1-for-1)led the inning off with a base hit. Rafael Flores (1-for-2, RBI) doubled to right center to score Kirk and make it a 2-0 game.
El Camino answered with an unearned run in the ninth, before the Chargers managed to put the game away with runners in scoring position.
The Chargers return to action in tomorrow's all-deciding game three at El Camino College. First pitch scheduled for 12:00pm. Winner advances to the CCCAA Southern California Sectional.
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