Late Rally Lifts Cypress to Win, Title

Cypress rallied to tie in the seventh on a squeeze play, then scored five times in the eighth inning to beat Palomar, 10-5, in the championship game of the Antelope Valley softball tournament Sunday.

It was the seventh consecutive tournament championship this season for Cypress (56-3), which already set a single-season record for victories.

Rockie Vandiver got down the bunt that enabled Cypress to tie it, 5-5, in the seventh. Gillian Tantardini had the key hit in the eighth, a three-run triple.

Jamie Wilkes (31-2) gave up seven hits in eight innings for the victory. Wilkes’ 31 victories is a single-season mark and she also holds Cypress’ career mark with 57.

Cara Painter (11-0) pitched a four-hitter as Cypress beat Antelope Valley, 8-0, in one semifinal. Cypress had six extra-base hits, including a home run by Melissa Beck, and beat Mt. San Antonio, 16-0, in a quarterfinal-round game.

Aimee Weathers, a sophomore shortstop, was selected the tournament’s most valuable player for Cypress, which had 76 hits and scored 52 runs in five games in the two-day tournament.