Originally written for publishing on March 14, 2013.
The Fullerton College baseball team picked up their third conference win in a row, Tuesday, as they beat Cypress 8-6, on the road. The Chargers led by as many as three runs in the game, and held a 6-4 lead after seven innings.
The Hornets (12-6, 4-2) did score one run in the first on an RBI walk by Garrett Donohoe. However, outfielder Dakota Wix was hit by a pitch to lead off the game and was pulled from the game in the bottom of the first inning.
The one-run lead did not last long, and the Chargers came back with three runs of their own in their half of the first inning. Robert Chavarria doubled home a run, and Cypress had runners on second and third base.
The two runners came in to score on back to back passed balls. The Hornet defense has been a problem all year and hurt them early in this one.
In the bottom of the third Blake Davey grounded out to the shortstop, allowing Parker Starr to come around and score, giving the Chargers a 4-1 lead.
The Chargers would hold the lead into the seventh inning, when the Hornets came charging back. Ryan Joyce led off the inning with a single, and advanced to second on an error.
Two batters later, Allan Willes doubled to center field and Joyce came around to score. Erik Lewis followed up with a double of his own that brought Willes around to score. The next batter, Troy Mulcahey, singled in Willes to tie the game but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Cypress added two runs of their own in the bottom of the seventh. Sam Tolleson got an RBI single and then came around to score on an error by FC pitcher Juan Berumen.
Berumen went 6.1 innings, while giving up three earned runs on eight hits, and striking out three.
The team’s closer, Sean Michael, came into the game earlier than usual and got the first batter he face to ground into an inning-ending double play. Michael followed it up with two more scoreless innings to pick up the win.
The Hornets tied the game in the top of the eighth on back-to-back RBI singles by Nick Gotta and Allan Willes.
In the top of the ninth, with two runners on, Garrett Donohoe doubled into the gap and Paul Frias and Jose Rojas came around to score the game winning runs.
Donohoe finished the game 1-4, with a run and three RBIs. Sean Michael threw 2.2 innings of perfect baseball, bolstering a troubled bullpen.
The Hornets will look to make it four league wins in a row when they take on Golden West this Thursday at 2 p.m., at Golden West.