California Community Colleges Commission on Athletics Baseball Championship May 26, 2003 Fresno, CA (John Euless Ball Park)

CYPRESS ROLLS TO FOURTH STATE TITLE

The championship featuring two Orange Empire Conference teams, goes to the Cypress Chargers, 13-3

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Catcher Felipe Garcia hit two home runs and pitcher Justin Keadle tossed a complete game with eight strikeouts to lead Cypress College to a 13-3 victory over Saddleback in the 2003 California Community College Baseball Championship final, Monday at Fresno City College's John Euless Ball Park.

Cypress (37-14-1), the top seed from Southern California, claims its fourth state title under coach Scott Pickler in six appearances.

"I thought it would come down to good pitching," said Pickler, who joins Wally Kincaid (Cerritos, 6 titles) and Len Bourdet (Fresno, 4) as the only coach to win four state rings.

"I didn't expect for us to explode like that. It's neat that Bourdet was the first (coach to win four), and it was here (in Fresno)."

Tournament MVP honors went to Garcia (8 for 12, 2 HR, 2 doubles, 6 RBI), third baseman Kevin Smith (7 for 13, 3 doubles, 7 RBI), and pitcher/first baseman Jason Vargas (1-0, 1.33 ERA, 5 for 10 batting, 3 RBI).

A four-run fourth inning broke open a close ballgame, and all but sealed the Cypress win.

The Chargers wasted little time scoring against Saddleback starter Geoff Overstreet.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Garcia belted a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer, and a quick 2-0 lead.

Garcia's third homer of the postseason also gave Cypress its 10th consecutive scoring inning.

In his next at-bat, Garcia blasted Overstreet's first offering high over the left-field fence for a solo homer, giving Cypress a 3-0 lead.

"I tried to keep my emotions down, see the ball, and hit the ball as hard as I can," said Garcia, who went 3 for 4 in the last two games.

Then with two outs, the Chargers got an RBI-double from Paul Smyth and a run-scoring single by Kevin Smith for a 5-0 lead.

Saddleback (34-17-1) climbed back in the game by scoring three runs off Keadle in the top of the fourth inning.

Robert Johnson led-off with a single, followed by a double to left field by Travis McConnell.

Johnson would score on a wild pitch, and McConnell came home on a RBI-groundout from Keahi Kapana.

Nick Lentine's single scored Jorge Ariaza, cutting the Cypress lead to 5-3.

But, Cypress charged back again in its next at-bat.

After a walk to Waldo Sauceda, a single by Matt Fry, and a sac bunt, Overstreet intentionally walked Garcia.

Overstreet (3-2) got Smyth to pop-up for the second out, but Jason Vargas ripped a single to left. All three runners came home after the ball rolled under Jordan Struble's glove and to the wall.

Smyth followed suit with a double off reliever Kyle Christensen to score Vargas, giving Cypress a commanding 9-3 cushion after four complete.

Fry added a sac fly RBI in the seventh for a 10-3 lead.

For good measure, Cypress sent nine batters to the plate in the eighth and scored three unearned runs, keyed by doubles from Garcia and Vargas, and a two-run single by Ricky Sauceda to make it 13-3.

Keadle, who signed with Wake Forest, allowed just two earned runs on seven hits to improve his record to 6-1.

Saddleback, the No.7 seed from SoCal, had a chance to score first.

The Gauchos loaded the bases in the third inning with one out, but Jordan Struble grounded to third baseman Kevin Smith, who stepped on the bag and threw to first for a double play.

The Chargers, ended the season winning 24 of their last 27 games, and scored 42 runs in their three games this weekend.

As a team, Cypress batted .405, slugged .603 (3 HR, 11 doubles, 2 triples), and had an on-base percentage of .475 in outscoring the opposition, 42-5.

"It makes my job a lot easier," Keadle said about the run support. "It changes the perception of the game."

Cypress pitchers posted a 1.33 ERA (4 earned runs in 27 innings), while striking out 33 batters. All of that without their team ace Jake Baxter (9-3), who was being saved for a potential seventh game between the two schools.

The OEC rivals split their four regular season meetings, with Saddleback winning the first two, 9-3 and 10-8.

Cypress took the last two OEC games, 11-8 and 7-6, and clobbered the Gauchos in Fresno, 16-1 and 13-3.

"Playing each other in our conference, day in and day out, really prepares you for the Final Four," said Saddleback coach Jack Hodges.

"It's disappointing now (to lose), but we appreciate the effort from our players," he added.

Garcia, heading to Cal State Fullerton, said his team came a long way from its 14-11 start.

"We've been saying, 'It's not how you start the season, but how it ends.'"

-- Report from the California Community College Sports Information Association, compiled by Eric Mendoza (Fullerton College SID) and Josh Butters (Fresno City College Rampage Sports Editor)

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