CYPRESS, CA- The Cypress baseball team (16-12, 11-7 OEC) hosted Golden West (12-16, 7-11 OEC) in a doubleheader on Friday afternoon to close out the 2021 season. The Chargers split the four-game series against Golden West after defeating the Rustlers in today's doubleheader, 2-0 and 8-6.
GAME 1
Matthew Oliden (1-for-3) earned the Chargers lone RBI during the first match. Freshman center fielder Nolan Ornelas (1-for-2) and sophomore catcher Jason McDonnell (1-for-3) crossed the plate for the Chargers. Sophomore pitcher Marc Lidd faced eight hitters over 2.0 innings pitched striking out three while only giving up two hits. Samio Uze (2-for-3) led the offensive push for the Rustlers after getting on base for Golden West in the first and third innings.
The Chargers scored their first run in the bottom of the second after Isaiah Ayala reached first on an error by the pitcher allowing Jason McDonnell (1-for-3) to score. In the bottom of the fifth, Nolan Ornelas (1-for-2) scored Cypress' second and final run of the game after Matthew Oliden (1-for-3) singled to left field. The Chargers won the first match of the afternoon, 2-0.
GAME 2
Noah Karliner (2-for-5) led the team in RBI's with two. Coby Morales (2-for-4, 1 RBI), Noah Karliner, Andrew Sojka (1-for-4, 1 RBI), Ryan Maciel (1-for-4), Brenden Harris (1-for-5), David Canales (1-for-4), Isaiah Ayala (1-for-4), and Mason Pastorello each scored one run for the Chargers. Ricky Lane (4-for-5) led Cypress in hits. The Rustlers, Logan Gallina (1-for-5, HR), led the offense for Golden West after earning three RBIs. Sebastian Orduno of Golden West (1-for-4, 1 RBI) scored two runs for the Rustlers.
The Rustlers scored the game's first two runs in the top of the third after Logan Gallina (1-for-5, 3 RBIs) homered to right field. The Chargers responded in the bottom of the fifth when Brenden Harris reached first on an error by the first baseman allowing Ryan Maciel and Coby Morales to score, knotting up the game at two. In the bottom of the sixth, the Chargers took the lead with the help of Coby Morales who hit a sacrifice fly to right field allowing Isaiah Ayala to score. The Chargers ignited their offense in the bottom of the seventh after scoring five runs, including a two-run homerun off the bat of Noah Karliner, to take the lead over the Rustlers, 8-2. In the top of the ninth, the Rustlers put up four runs to close the gap between Golden West and Cypress. Despite their efforts, Golden West fell a short allowing the Chargers to secure their second victory of the afternoon, 8-6.
2021 Season Highlights
The Chargers finished the 2020-21 season with a (16-12, 11-7 OEC) record after a shortened 2019-20 season. The baseball team scored a total of 182 runs over 28 games, 24 of which were home runs. Freshman Coby Morales, and sophomores Andrew Sojka and Mario Tostado each hit four home runs to lead the Chargers followed closely by freshman, Brenden Harris, with three. Andrew Sojka earned the most runs for the Chargers with a total of 25 followed by sophomore Ricky Lane with 19. Andrew Sojka was also ranked #2 in the OEC for RBI's with 24 for the season. Coby Morales finished #3 in the OEC with 23 RBI's. Ricky Lane boasted the top batting average in the OEC batting (.418). Dalton Sloniger ranked #2 in the OEC with a batting average of (.400). Mason Pastorello and Ricky Lane were ranked #3 in the OEC with six stolen bases.
Cypress Hall of Fame Assistant Coach and Longtime Athletic Director Bill Pinkman Retires After 36 Years
Cypress College bids the Assistant Baseball Coach, Bill Pinkham, farewell after 36 years on the field. Since 1985, Bill has been a part of the Cypress College team as a Veteran Assistant and Athletic Director. While serving as AD for Cypress, Bill was key in helping build one of the nation's premier community college baseball programs. Over the years, he has helped send 31 catchers to four-year programs and has been a part of 5 CCCAA State Championships and 6 OEC Championships. After becoming an All-American catcher at the University of San Diego, Pinkham was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2nd round of the 1981 MLB Amateur Draft. Pinkham was inducted into both the Cypress College Athletics and California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fames in 2017. His dedication to baseball and the Chargers were inspiring to staff and players alike. He will be greatly missed by the team and will always be a part of the Chargers family.
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