Cypress Gets Little Relief in Win Over Santa Ana

Poor performances by relief pitchers have become the norm in recent games for Cypress and the bullpen failed again Saturday.

But this time the Chargers hit their way out of trouble and beat visiting Santa Ana, 18-11, in an Orange Empire Conference baseball game.

Cypress scored eight runs in the sixth inning to open a 13-2 lead, but Cypress Coach Scott Pickler knew the game wasn’t decided.

His pitchers had given up a combined 23 runs in seventh, eighth and ninth innings of the three previous games, all losses.

Cypress’ Jake Moon (3-1) gave up five runs on five hits and five walks in 6 2/3 innings for the victory, but Santa Ana scored three runs each in the seventh, eighth and ninth.

But first-place Cypress (24-10, 11-5 in conference) just had too much offense.

Sophomore Shaun Larkin had a home run, two doubles, two singles and a walk. He scored four runs and drove in three.

“I’m just really seeing the ball well right now,” Larkin said. “We needed to get going today and we were ready to play.”

Sophomore Ulises Cabrera capped the sixth inning with a three-run home run. He scored four runs and also made a key defense play early in the game.

Cypress led, 4-2, but Santa Ana had a runner on second and two outs in the fifth when the left-handed hitting Josh Shaffer poked a fly ball behind third. But Cabrera made an over-the-shoulder catch to save a run.

Gerald Laird, Adam Spiker and Michael Duursma each drove in two runs for Cypress, which remained a game in front of second-place Riverside.

Tommy Duarte had a three-run home run in the ninth for Santa Ana (22-13, 8-8).

Oginga Aaron and Dan Young each drove in two runs for Santa Ana.