Smith’s 3 Homers Lead Cypress to Title

Several talented players made Cypress the favorite to win the Orange Empire Conference baseball title this season. But it was the team’s character down the stretch that made the title a reality.

Cypress won its final six conference games, including a 13-5 victory Saturday over visiting Saddleback in the final regular- season game, to clinch the title outright.

Brandon Smith, whose character was put to the test most of the season because he saw limited duty after a standout freshman year, hit three home runs and drove in four Saturday for Cypress (30-12, 17-7).

Smith had 14 home runs as a freshman but struggled some early this season and was replaced in the lineup at first base, then at designated hitter.

Cypress Coach Scott Pickler could not remember the last time Smith had started before Saturday but Pickler said he awoke in the middle of the night with the idea to use Smith Saturday. Smith’s last home run had come on March 23.

“He’s handled not playing very, very well,” Pickler said. “But I figured he was a sophomore and it was a big game and he would be ready.”

Smith’s final home run--a two-run shot to left--capped a three-run seventh that gave Cypress a 12-5 lead.

Smith also hit home runs in the third and fourth inning. Smith’s fourth-inning homer gave Cypress a 5-3 lead and followed Brandon Pack’s two-run shot.

Smith has seven home runs this season and 21 overall, which is one short of the Cypress career mark.

Smith admitted he has been frustrated at times this season but said: “It feels good to help the team. I’m a team player and I just want to go out and do my best.”

Cypress also got a boost from Jake Moon, who pitched 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief and gave up only one hit. Only three Saddleback players reached base against Moon (5-2).

He entered in the fifth after Saddleback had scored twice to tie it, 5-5, and also had two runners on. But Moon, a sophomore right-hander, got a force out on a grounder to end the inning.

“Moon was awesome,” Pickler said. “He really wanted the ball today and we’ve been waiting for that.”

Cypress took the lead for good with a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Shaun Larkin that scored Gerald Laird.

The Chargers got three more runs in the sixth on run-scoring singles by Ulises Cabrera, Laird and Cory Sullivan.

Pat Wood had a home run and two singles and drove in three runs and Jason Marion had a two-run single for Saddleback (30-13, 15-9), which finished in second place despite having only three returning starters from last season’s team that reached the state title game.

The 16 teams to make the Southern California playoff field will be decided Monday and the first round of the playoffs start Saturday.

In other conference games:

Orange Coast 9, Riverside 4--John DiCorpo hit a three-run home run in the first and Ryan Clark hit his conference-leading 15th home run for host Orange Coast (27-17, 14-10), which will go into the playoffs as the third-place team from the conference. Riverside and OCC finished tied for third but the Pirates hold the tie-breaker advantage.

Ricky Bostick (6-3) went 8 1/3 innings for the victory.

Santa Ana 4, Fullerton 3--Fullerton starter Ken Chenard struck out 12 and gave up only two hits in eight innings, but took the loss because Santa Ana (29-13, 12-12) scored four runs in the second with the help of five walks and no hits.