Riverside, Calif. - Cypress College's hopes for an undefeated season in Orange Empire Conference play this year vanished yesterday afternoon after a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Riverside College (13-6, 7-2) on road Wednesday.
The second regular season matchup between the Chargers (17-4, 8-1) and the Tigers turned into a pitchers dual early on. Neither team could get their offense going against Cypress' Stephanie Luhmann (5-1) or Riverside's Nicole Zink (9-3).
Luhmann nearly pitched her way out of the eighth inning jam, but that last out turned out to be elusive. Luhmann was dealing all day and finished with 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings on the mound for Cypress.
Riverside got on the board first with a run in the bottom half of the fourth, but Cypress would tie the game at 1-1 in the sixth after Chelsea Jewett legged out a bunt single, then stole second to give the Chargers a runner in scoring position. Tiffany Fox came through with a clutch RBI double that scored Jewett to get the game back to even at 1-1.
The Tigers looked to be going down in order in the bottom of the tenthinning before RCC strung together a pair of back-back hits to hand the Chargers their first OEC loss of the season, and fourth overall.
Cypress will return home on Friday to host Fullerton College at 2 p.m., in the first game of a four-game homestand.
May 5, 2013
Citrus dethroned Chargers 9-0
May 4, 2013
Chargers ' rally fell short in first game
April 28, 2013
Third-seeded Chargers host Citrus to open Regionals
April 26, 2013
Conference honored Chargers
April 25, 2013
Chargers mercied Orange Coast 13-0 in season finale
April 19, 2013
Chargers beat Saddleback in regular season home finale 6-5
April 17, 2013
Chargers won a close one over Santa Ana 8-6
April 5, 2013
Cypress defeat Golden West 7-0
April 3, 2013
Chargers' bats defeated Santiago 11-2
March 27, 2013
Cypress trounced Saddleback 8-2
March 26, 2013
Chargers mercied Pirates again
March 24, 2013
Chargers defeat Cerritos 6-3
March 22, 2013
Chargers back on winning trail
March 20, 2013
Cypress dropped one at Riverside
March 15, 2013
Chargers trounced Hornets 14-0
March 13, 2013
Chargers mercied Golden West
March 7, 2013
Chargers no-mercy OCC
March 3, 2013
Chargers swept a DH at Canyons
March 2, 2013
Chargers swept DH over ELAC and Desert
March 1, 2013
Chargers rally from 2-run deficit to beat Saddleback 5-4
February 27, 2013
Santa Ana beat Chargers on a walk-off run
February 24, 2013
Chargers split 2-2 at Bakersfield Tourney
February 22, 2013
Chargers dethroned Riverside from undefeated rank
February 20, 2013
Chargers defeat Fullerton 3-1 to win 4 straight
February 13, 2013
Chargers won pitching dual 1-0 over GWC
February 12, 2013
Chargers won one at Santiago 8-6
February 6, 2013
Top-ranked Chargers top Long Beach 10-2 to open season
January 29, 2013
Defending Champs taking the challenge
April 21, 2012
Cypress Outlast Hawks at Home
April 12, 2012
Cypress Blanks Fullerton 9-0
March 14, 2012
Chargers Fall to Tigers 2-1 in Eight Innings