2004 Citi California Community Colleges
Commission on Athletics
Baseball Championship

May 29, Fresno, CA (John Euless Ball Park)

SEMIFINAL, GAME 1
CYPRESS 10, OHLONE 8

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Defending-state champion Cypress built a big lead, then held on to beat Ohlone, 10-8, in the 2004 Citi California Community Colleges Commission On Athletics Baseball Championship semifinal, Saturday at Fresno City College's John Euless Ball Park.

Cypress (26-13), the top seed from Southern California, will face the Fresno/Saddleback winner in Sunday's championship title game at noon.

The Chargers racked-up 15 hits, including 8 for extra bases (6 doubles, one triple, one home run), while the Renegades had 14 hits (3 HR).

Five Chargers collected at least two hits on the day, including 3B Kevin Smith (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2B, 2 R), DH Paul Smythe (3-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R), 2B Ricky Sauceda (3-for-5, two 2B, 2 R), and LF Zach Meredith (2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI).

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Smith turned a 6-4 Cypress lead into a 9-4 cushion with a three-run homer over the right-center field wall. The Chargers left the inning with a 10-4 lead after Sauceda reached on an infield error and scored on a wild pitch.

Cypress starter RHP Erick Crichton (3-1) pitched 5.1 innings (9 H, 4 ER, 3 K, BB) to earn the win, while reliever RHP Garrett Parcell got the final two outs to record his seventh save.

Ohlone rallied to score four runs in the top of the 9th, and sent the tying run to the plate, but Parcell got CF Travis Millard to pop-out to the shortstop to end the game.

"I was a little nervous in that 9th inning," Cypress coach Scott Pickler said.

"Now, we just have to piece it together for one more day."

Cypress jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 2nd, highlighted by back-to-back RBI-doubles from Meredith and Smyth.

Ohlone (23-17), the South's No. 2 seed, later scored three runs in the top of 6th to cut Cypress' lead to 5-4.

The Renegades got a lead-off solo homer to left field by 2B Bryan Hill; then with one out, RF Mitch Rodriguez belted a two-run homer to left, chasing Crichton.

Ohlone ace RHP Matt Bush (10-3) was roughed-up for five runs on eight hits during his 4.1 innings of work.

Offensive stars for Ohlone included Hill (4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R), Rodriguez (2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI), and 3B Jim Davenport (solo HR in the 9th).

Ohlone coach Paul Moore: "We've had a great run, and our guys weren't going to quit."

-- Report from the California Community College Sports Information Association, compiled by Eric Mendoza (Fullerton).

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