Cypress completes the task and captures third CIF title with 2-0 win over Harvard Westlake

Cypress High’s baseball team celebrates after winning the CIF Division 1 title Saturday night (Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Cameron Repetti and Brett Wozniak combined to pitch a five-hit shutout and Luke Davis had three hits and two RBI to propel Cypress High to a 2-0 victory over Harvard Westlake in the CIF Division 1 championship game Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

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The Centurions (31-3) finish the season with a 16-game winning streak and set a record for most wins in a season and captured their first CIF title since 2013 and third overall. It’s the first Division 1 crown for the Centurions.

Repetti (12-2) pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up four hits and struck out six to earn the win. Wozniak came on in relief with one out in the sixth inning and shut the Wolverines down and earned the save.    

“It feels fantastic,” said Repetti, a Cal State Fullerton commit. “My fastball and slider were working tonight. I knew I could only pitch 5 1/3 tonight, but I knew Woz would come out of the bullpen and take care of business.”

Wozniak said it’s an amazing to win a CIF title.

“It’s such a great atmosphere being at our school and being on this team and now it’s surreal to win a championship,” Wozniak added. “We did it for our assistant coach ‘Papa Sled’ who we lost earlier this season.”

Davis, a freshman, was the offensive hero as he had an RBI single in the fourth and an RBI double in the sixth inning.

“It doesn’t get any better than this and I have three years left,” said Davis, who had three hits. “We’ve been on a groove and our confidence kept growing.”

Centurions coach John Weber was overwhelmed with his team’s pitching and overall effort.     

“Cam is a stud and Woz has been amazing all year,” said Weber. “I think we deserve to be the No. 1 team in the nation, especially with the schedule we played and the ranked teams we beat this season; how can we not be?”

Sam Hliboki pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs and eight hits and took the loss for Harvard Westlake.

The Wolverines missed an opportunity to get on the board in the third inning. Left fielder George Cooper led off the bottom of the third with a single and then stole second. With two outs, Tyler Cox drilled a single to left but Copper was gunned down at home by a perfect throw from left fielder Elias Rios to Davis.

Davis then came up in the top of the fourth and banged a two-out RBI single to right, scoring Wozniak and giving the Centurions a 1-0 lead.

Harvard Westlake returned the defensive favor in the fourth inning when Peter Werth was cut down at home plate on a pinpoint throw from right fielder Sam Biller to Jacob Galloway, following a single by Mike Marsh for the final out of the inning and keeping the score 1-0.

“I try and set the tone and the intensity and try to get on base,” said Marsh, who had two hits and was on base three times. “I know if I get on the Woz, Cam and Chafee, the best RBI hitters in the nation, will drive me in. This is what I’ve dreamed for four years, to win a CIF championship.”

Cypress added a run in the sixth but was denied a potential additional run.

Wozniak led off with a single and was pinch run by Cody Lagafuana. Repetti then hit a dribbler up on the grass on the first base side. Hliboki fielded the ball but threw high and over the head of first baseman Tyler Ganus.

Lagafuana advanced to third, however home plate umpire called Repetti out for running out of the base line to first. Lagafuana was sent back to first base.

One out later, Davis came through in the clutch again as he pounded an RBI double to right field corner, increasing the Centurions lead to 2-0.

Misfortune struck Harvard Westlake in the sixth inning.

With one out, Cox singled. He stole second as Michael Snyder struck out, but Snyder was called out for interfering with the catcher’s throw to second. Cox was ruled out and the inning ended.  

The Centurions entered the postseason as the No. 2 seeded CIF D1 team.

Cypress won a dramatic 1-0 victory over La Mirada in their semifinal game when Werth belted a walk off double. The Centurions last loss was March 29 to Orange Lutheran.

Cypress, champions of the Empire League, opened the playoffs by defeating Servite, Capo Valley, Yucaipa and La Mirada to reach the finals. The Centurions pitching has been dominant in the playoffs as they have yielded only four runs in five games.   

Harvard-Westlake won its only CIF championship in 2013. It lost in the finals in 2003.

The Wolverines (27-6-1) finished second in the Mission League behind Notre dame and began the postseason as the No. 8 ranked D1 team by the CIF poll.

HWL defeated Valencia/Valencia, Ayala, Orange Lutheran and Huntington Beach to reach the finals.  

-Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone