CYPRESS, CA – The top-ranked Cypress College softball team (14-0, 6-0 OEC) defeated visiting Saddleback College (4-11, 1-5 OEC) in five innings on Wednesday afternoon, 13-4. The Chargers are the only unbeaten team remaining in the state, and have now won 62 consecutive games dating back to last season.

Sophomore pitcher Hailey Hoffman (3-0) earned her third win of the season, allowing just one run on one hit in 3.1 innings of work. Carlee Russo (0-1 received her first loss of the season for Saddleback after giving up 13 runs, including nine earned runs, in four innings.

Sophomore shortstop Sydney McCollum (2-for-4, 3 RBI, HR) and freshman Infinity Laufou (2-for-4, 2 RBI) led the Cypress offense.

The Gauchos opened the scoring early in the bottom of the first, capitalizing on a Cypress throwing error, to take a 1-0 lead. The Chargers responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by a 2 RBI single to center field from Destiny Lucero (1-for-2, 2 RBI).

Hoffman was perfect in the circle through her final 2.1 innings, before Adriana Barrera pitched 1.2 innings of relief. The Chargers erupted for eight unanswered runs to take a 13-1 lead into the fifth inning, capped off by a three-run bomb over the left field fence from McCollum.

The Gauchos put together a three-run rally in the fifth, but Barrera put the game away forcing a fly out to center field, as Cypress emerged victorious by mercy rule, 13-4.

Cypress softball will return to action on Friday when they travel to take on district rival Fullerton College at 2:00 p.m.

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