In a low-scoring affair, Fullerton was able to produce the only run of the game in a 1-0 win over Cypress on Tuesday. Hornets starting pitcher Emma Gamez pitches a gem, while Lisa Villanueva’s solo homer is all the run support they needed. It was a showdown between two sister schools, which have had epic battles throughout the years.
Two seasons ago, both teams faced off in the state championship final at West Valley to determine who would bring home the crown.
Cypress won the first game 4-1. The second game went down to a winner-take-all, as Fullerton came out on top, winning 6-2 over the Chargers. The Hornets scored six unanswered runs after trailing 2-0 through three and a half innings. In 2025, the Chargers took two out of three from the Hornets during conference play.
Cypress was off to a hot start this year, winning ten of their first twelve games. That included sweeping a three-game series from Santiago Canyon to start conference play. On the other side, Fullerton lost the first two games of their series against Orange Coast. In the rubber match, they put on an offensive outburst in an 11-4 victory to avoid a sweep from the Pirates.
Both teams had opportunities to score runs, but were unable to capitalize with runners in scoring position. In the top of the fourth inning, the Chargers got a huge break off a miscue from Hornet third baseman Sanai Smith. After a Lynsey Arostigue single to center field, left fielder Alina Argueta placed a sacrifice bunt to the left side of the infield.
Smith came up to field the grounder, but was unable to secure it in her glove. She bobbled the ball and had no play. This put two runners on with nobody out. Smith had her head down, knowing that it was a routine grounder. Her teammates in the dugout and on the field told Smith to move on to the next play. Gamez was in her first jam of the game. She looked to pick up her teammate and keep it a 1-0 lead.
Chargers center fielder Carly Parmenter put down a sacrifice bunt that went back to the pitcher, Gamez. Gamez glanced over to third to get the lead runner out, but decided to record the out at first base. Runners were on at second and third with one out.
Cypress catcher Peyton Clark came up to the plate. Gamez did not mess around, as she threw Clark a 0-1 rise ball chasing, before blowing a fastball by Clark for strike three. Now there were two away, and Gamez stayed focused, knowing she needed one more out. The fans were letting Gamez know that she’s got it.
Chargers right fielder Isabella Guerrero came up to the plate. On a 1-1 count, Co-Head Coach Speedy Mendoza came out for a mound visit to make sure that Gamez executed the pitch sequence. Two pitches later, Gamez got out of the inning, swinging at a curveball on the outside part of the plate swinging. Hornets catcher Faith Krueger was pumped up, pointing at her pitcher, while the dugout jumped out of the dugout, high-fiving Gamez. The crowd was clapping and cheering along the way.
“I was nervous inside, but I had to fight through it for my team. They deserved it. They’re working behind me on defense, and I owe it to them,” said Gamez. “Being confident with my pitches and using my legs. I used to do track in high school, using all that running.”
In the top of the sixth inning, Cypress got another runner in scoring position with two outs on a double to left-center by Argueta. Gamez worked her way out of it, as center fielder Parmenter grounded over to Hornet third baseman Smith to end the threat.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Chargers started another rally. After Clark flew out to center fielder Dakoda Hilvers, Cypress decided to pinch-hit for Guerrero. As Charlize Callaghan came up to the plate. On a 1-1 count, Gamez left a pitch out and over the plate to Callaghan, as she ripped it down the left line. It looked like the ball was going to fall in for a double, but instead it went foul.
The fans showed a sigh of relief, especially Gamez, as she locked back in. On the next pitch, she threw a change-up that Callaghan grounded the ball up the middle. Hornets second baseman Zoey Bautista attempted to make a diving stop to her right, but it went off her glove and into center field for a hit.
Chargers designated player Hailey Rice stepped into the batter’s box with one out. Gamez threw Rice a curveball that she popped up into shallow right. It looked like the ball was going to fall into no man’s land for a hit. Fullerton second baseman Bautista went out and got underneath the ball to record the second out. Gamez got the Chargers’ first baseman, Madylyn Wynia, to ground out to end the game. Gamez threw a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 victory.
“[Gamez] was steady Eddie today, solid in the circle. She attacked the zone, and I think we figured out early on what the umpire was calling back there, and she did her job,” said Aguirre.
In the bottom of the second inning, Fullerton designated player Lisa Villanueva led things off. Villanueva did not waste any time, as she pounced on the first pitch from Chargers starting pitcher Haley Tucker. Tucker threw an inside pitch to Villanueva, who blasted a solo homer over the left-center field wall to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
“I had realized that the first three batters got the inside pitch for the first strike. I got off the plate a little bit, expecting it, and I took it,” said Villanueva.
Fullerton had an opportunity in the bottom half of the fourth inning to extend their lead. Toafa Pua came up to the plate with two outs and nobody on base. The first pitch she saw from Tucker was torched into center field. Pua thought she got it all, but the ball hit off the top of the wall. Pua, at the time, was in her trot when she noticed the ball stayed in play as she hustled into second for a double.
Fans clapped and cheered as Pua got on with a double. The inning ended when Alana Eisel fouled out to left fielder Argueta.
The Hornets stayed focused the entire game, even though their offense did not have a good day at the plate. In the bottom of the first inning, Co-Head Coach Crystal Aguirre was not happy with shortstop Alexandria Valdez and Krueger as she backed out of the batter’s box after taking inside pitches.
Valdez struck out, and Aguirre told her to take the bat off her shoulder and swing. She told Krueger not to peel out of the way after Chargers pitcher Tucker was throwing inside pitches.
“I think we could have been a little bit more aggressive. [Tucker’s] a smart pitcher herself. I think she noticed that we were starting to jump on that first pitch. We gotta be able to make adjustments sooner,” said Aguirre.
Fullerton will travel to Cypress on Thursday for game two of a three-game series. Game time is at 2:30 p.m.