Cypress Hangs On, 5-2, Advances to State

Christa Saindon scored two runs and drove in one and Aimee Weathers had a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single as Cypress beat Rancho Santiago, 5-2, to earn a berth in the state softball tournament Saturday in a regional game at Cypress.

It’s the eighth consecutive time Cypress, under Coach Brad Pickler, has reached the final-eight field. This year’s tournament starts Friday in Fremont, which is 22 miles south of Oakland.

“I don’t know where it is,” Pickler said, jokingly. “I’ve never been there, but I can’t wait to get there.”

Cypress very nearly didn’t get there thanks to a stubborn Rancho Santiago team. The Dons started the day with a 3-1 victory over Southwestern.

They rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh with two outs and nobody on.

Rancho Santiago stayed alive with a 1-0 victory over Cypress. Sheryl Anderson pitched a six-hitter for her second victory of the day and third in two days.

Rancho Santiago (36-18) scored in the seventh on a leadoff double by Melissa Cruz and a one-out single by Cari Remmel to drive in Cruz.

But Cypress (47-14) scored twice in the first inning of the final game against Anderson (33-10), who took the loss. Saindon walked, reached third on a single by Autumn Gwinner and scored on Weathers’ sacrifice fly.

Lise Delligatta followed Weathers with an RBI single.

Saindon and Weathers had run-scoring singles as Cypress built a 5-0 lead with two runs in the fifth.