CYPRESS – It’s a new league, but perhaps the same result for Cypress baseball.
The Centurions took a significant step toward winning the Crestview League championship in its first season in the league with a 9-1 win over Foothill on Friday at Cypress High.
Cypress has a 6-2 league record. Second–place Villa Park is 5-3 in league after a 5-1 win over El Modena on Friday. Third-place Foothill is 4-4 in league, and El Dorado is next at 3-3.
The Centurions moved over to the Crestview League after many years in the Empire League. They won their fourth straight Empire League championship last year.
Junior catcher Noah Johnson on Friday had two hits, drove in two runs and scored twice. Senior first baseman Paul Dominguez hit two doubles, drove in two runs and scored twice.
Cypress sophomore left-handed pitcher Tate Balfanti gave up two hits, one of them a bunt single, in his five scoreless innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Sophomore right-hander Tyler Kaufman pitched the sixth and seventh innings.
Good at-bats, with solid contact, were plentiful for Cypress. Centurions hitters patiently worked long counts.
“That was a key thing we focused on at practice yesterday,” Johnson said. “Trying to focus on getting those long, key at-bats.”
Cypress, No. 6 in the Orange County Top 25, improved to 14-9 overall. No. 5 Foothill is 15-8.
The Centurions took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Johnson led off the inning with a line-drive single up the middle. Dominguez followed with a double into the right-center field gap that drove in Johnson, running on the pitching, from first base.
Connor Artasere followed with a bloop single to center that moved Dominguez to third base. Spencer Kwon lined a single to drive in Dominguez to make it 2-0.
The Centuritons scored three runs in the second inning. Greg Prophet III hit a double to left field, took third base on Gary Hennessy’s chopper ground out to the right side of the infield and scored on Johnson’s sharp single to left field. The right-handed hitting Dominguez dumped a fly ball down the right field line to drive in Johnson and Dominguez scored when a wild throw to the plate, an attempt to get Johnson there, bounced into the Cypress dugout for a 5-0 lead.
Cypress added a run in the fourth inning. Prophet walked, advanced to second base on Hennessey’s single, took third on Garret Rodriguez’ sacrifice bunt and scored on Johnson’s ground out to second base to make it 6-0.
The Centurions scored three runs in the fifth. Artasere walked, went to second base on a wild pitch and to third on a balk and scored on an error. A sacrifice fly by Prophet III drove in John Short and a single by Hennessey drove in Tyler Vladic for the ninth run.
Foothill’s run came in the sixth inning. Sean Green led off with a single, went to second base on a wild pitch and to third on a ground out and scored on Daniel Troncale’s single.
Five of Cypress’ runs were scored with two outs.
“Those two-out hits are so important,” said Cypress coach John Weber. “Close games usually are defined by making a play, getting a bunt down or getting a two-out hit. Those things can get overwhelmed in a lopsided game like today, but we’re still preaching those things.”
Cypress is in excellent shape if anything comes down to tiebreakers when the regular season ends on May 7. The Centurions won all three of their league games against Foothill and took two of their three league games against Villa Park. Their other league loss was to El Dorado, which Cypress plays twice next week starting with a game Wednesday at El Dorado.
Johnson likes the way the Centurions have played lately.
“Last week when we played Villa Park we flipped the switch,” Johnson said. “It kind of made us realize the people we are. We need to be tougher than the other team, and I think if we out-tough the other team we can win every game.”
Foothill plays El Modena in two league games next week starting with a home game Wednesday. The Knights play Villa Park twice in league play the following week.
Related Articles
Huntington Beach baseball finishes off Los Alamitos with a display of power Sonora baseball ends Wilson’s winning streak with eight-run inning San Juan Hills baseball leans on its strong pitching to beat Trabuco Hills Segerstrom baseball must forfeit all of its wins, ineligible for playoffs Laguna Beach baseball gaining notice with its stellar performance Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Cypress baseball gets closer to league championship with win over Foothill )
Also on site :