CYPRESS, CA- Charger softball (31-6, 16-2 OEC) defeated the Fullerton Hornets (23-12, 13-4 OEC) in a tense game on Wednesday afternoon, 3-1.
On a bright sunny day, Cypress welcomed their district rival for a late season conference battle. The Chargers stand on top of the OEC and two games ahead of the Hornets. The afternoon was kicked off with an honorary first pitch from Cypress College President JoAnna Schilling, who will be retiring later this year.
Out of the gate, the Chargers offensive delivered a run and put the pressure on the Hornets. In the first, Camryn Addimando roped a ball over the left fielder's head that scored Emily Rush for the early lead.
Rush kept the Fullerton bats hitless through 4.1 innings until the visiting team tied it in the fifth. With Haley Perez on second, Alendy Aguilar hit a ground ball that went up the middle to knot the game at one apiece.
Cypress did not wait long to regain the lead as two crossed home plate in the bottom of the sixth. In a two-out opportunity, Rush rocketed a ball to the center field wall to bring in two runs. Her two RBI double brought in Cameron Curiel and Lizbeth Gomez to take the lead in their final offensive opportunity.
The Chargers would go one to close it out in the seventh frame for the conference win against their district rivals. Addimando put the home team on the scoreboard early with her run-scoring hit as she went 1-2 with an RBI and a walk. Rush clutched up as she went 2-3 with two RBI and a walk. She also pitched a complete game and only allowed one run. The intense finish helped Cypress continue to separate themselves at the top of the Orange Empire Conference.
UP NEXT: The Chargers will be on the road for their next conference game at Santa Ana on Friday, April 21st. First pitch will be at 11am.
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.
