Cypress players after Monday’s Crestview League win over Foothill. (PHOTOS: Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone).
Twice down to its last out, and once down to its last strike, the Cypress High School baseball team found a way to rally and recorded a thrilling 10th inning 6-5 victory walk-off win over Foothill in a Crestview League game Monday afternoon at Cypress.
“Good teams find a way to win even when they’re not playing their best baseball,” said Centurions Coach John Weber.
Cypress (4-3, 3-0) pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning on a suicide squeeze to the delight of the home crowd and snapped the Knights five-game winning streak.
Senior outfielder Greg Prophet III led off the Centurions 10th inning by blasting a one-hop double off the left field fence. Sophomore Gary Hennessy then drilled a single to left and Prophet III stopped at third. Up came Cypress third baseman Landon Anderson to bat.
Moments later, Hennessy took second on catcher’s indifference. Anderson worked the count to 3-1 and then laid down a perfectly placed suicide squeeze down the third base line that the Knights third baseman had no chance to make a play on.
Prophet III scored the winning run and Anderson’s teammates chased him down into short right field and mobbed him as they celebrated the dramatic win.
“We totally trust each other; I looked at the coach and guys in the dugout when the count was 3-1 and I got the sign and it felt good to lay it down and get a walk off win,” said Anderson.
“It’s why you come to Cypress, to play in games like this,” added Prophet III, who was hitless in four trips prior to his 10th inning clutch double. “It felt great to catch the barrel of the bat when we needed it.”
Hennessy was also pumped up following the game.
“I wasn’t nervous when I got up in the 10th; I got a pitch down low and I hit it good,” Hennessy said.
Trailing 4-3 with two outs in the seventh inning, Noah Johnson singled to center. He then came around and scored on Connor Artasere’s RBI double to tie the score at 4-4. On the play, Foothill right fielder AJ Nagler appeared to have trouble locating Artasere’s drive, possibly losing it in the sun.
“This was a huge and massive win for us,” said Johnson, who had three hits, two RBI and scored a run. “We look at each other when the game is on the line and we pound our chests as a sign of confidence. We never give up.”
Again, in the ninth inning, the Centurions rose to the occasion. Paul Dominguez’s two out, two strike RBI single scored Garrett Rodriguez to tie the game at 5-5.
Cypress got outstanding relief pitching from Nick Nelson, Tyler Kaufman and Drew Slevcove over the final six innings. The Trio allowed only one run while striking out four.
“I love pressure situations with the game on the line,” said Kaufman, a sophomore. “I felt like my team was depending on me to come through. This win gives us so much confidence that I can’t wait until Wednesday’s game.”
Slevcove also said he wants to be on the mound when it matters most.
“I want the ball; I want to be out there with the game on the line,” said Slevcove, a junior. “I know if I throw strikes my defense will take care of the rest.”
The Centurions executed a defensive gem in the seveth inning to prevent another run and end a Knights rally. With one out, Aidan Colburn singled and reached second on an infield out. Sean Green then singled to left, however Colburn took too wide a turn at third and was caught in a rundown and tagged out.
The relay thrown went from left fielder Wyatt Rosales’ to the third baseman, Anderson, to the shortstop, Hennessy, and then to Johnson, the catcher, who tagged Colburn out to end the top of the seventh.
Foothill (6-2, 2-1) scored three runs in the top of the first on a three-run homer by Gavin Lauridsen off Cypress starting pitcher Wyatt Rosales. Lauridsen had four hits in the game and pitched the first 4 1/3 innings before giving way to Kyle Telson. Telson pitched very well in relief but was tagged with the tough loss.
Daniel Troncale clouted a solo homer to up the Knights lead to 4-1 in the fourth inning. Johnson’s two-run single in the fifth cut the Foothill lead to 4-3 and set the stage for a wild extra inning finish.
“It was a great battle between two very good teams,” said Foothill Coach Chris Price. “We had opportunities in several innings to score and didn’t take advantage, so we have some things to clean up and do a better job.”
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