CYPRESS, CA- Charger baseball (25-12, 11-8 OEC) win in comeback fashion against the Orange Coast Pirates (24-13, 10-9 OEC) with a walk-off on Tuesday afternoon, 6-5.
After Cypress won the final game against Santa Ana, the Chargers welcomed the Orange Coast College Pirates to start a three-game series. With identical records, the series would be both teams' final conference games before playoffs begin.
To follow a quiet first inning, Orange Coast exploded for four runs in the second inning. Jake Taylor launched a grand-slam to put the Pirates up 0-4 early. Cypress responded with a run in the bottom of the frame. With two-outs, Aaron Perez doubled to put himself in scoring position. Edgar Rosales hit a clutch RBI single to tally the first run for the Chargers bats.
Cypress continued their comeback in the bottom fourth when the team scored three runs. Albert De La Rosa knocked an RBI double that allowed Isaac Rodriguez to cross home to cut the deficit in half. Rosales followed with a run-scoring hit and a Nick Mascaro sacrifice flyout to tie the game, 4-4.
Orange Coast immediately broke the tie at the top of the fifth when they scored one. The Pirates' Zach Leite brought in Evan Scalley from an RBI knock to regain the lead. Both offenses went scoreless for three consecutive innings, until the Chargers final opportunity in the bottom of the ninth.
Down by one in the ninth, Cypress worked to mount a last effort comeback. Rosales began the offense with a double off of the left center fence to put the tying run in scoring position. Pinch hitter Luca Arenado delivered in the high-pressure situation with an RBI single through the 3-4 hole to tie the game at five apiece. A batter later Andre Naranjo, who came in as a pinch runner, ran home and scored off of a wild pitch. The wild pitch walk-off finished the comeback and gave Cypress the lead in the series, 6-5.
Rosales had an impressive day at the plate as he went 4-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Off the bench in the bottom of the ninth, Arenado had the clutch RBI single to tie the game. Evan Adolphus gave up a grand slam in the second inning, but responded well as he went 8.0 innings. He allowed four earned runs and struck out eight in the process. In an inning of relief, Tucker Fountain did not allow a run in the ninth.
With key substitutions which provided late in the game, the well managed win by Head Coach Anthony Hutting was a deciding factor that opened the series with a victory. The walk-off separated Cypress from Orange Coast by a game in the OEC standings with two conference games to play.
UP NEXT: The Chargers will continue the three-game series at Orange Coast on Thursday, April 27th. First pitch will be at 2pm.
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.
