West Valley scores late to upend Cypress, 3-2, in opening round of 3C2A Baseball Championship Tournament

Tournament Central

WALNUT - It was another down-to-the-wire game and in the end, it was the West Valley College Vikings who pulled out a 3-2 win over Cypress College in the opening round of the 3C2A Baseball State Championships on Saturday, hosted by Mt. San Antonio College.

With the win, the Vikings (39-11) will advance to the state semifinals, where they will take on the host Mt. SAC Mounties on Sunday, beginning at 2 p.m. The loss sends the Chargers (38-11) to the elimination matchup with Sierra College on Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m.

In a matchup with two teams loaded with offensive firepower, it was the starting pitchers for both squads who earned the spotlight of the game. WVC's Nico Wagner (9-2) picked up the inspired win to improve to 9-2. He allowed two runs on 10 hits over 8 2/3 innings of work, walking two while striking out eight.

A tip of the cap can also be given to Cypress starter Tommy McGuire (11-1), who took the hard luck loss after allowing three runs (two earned) over 7 1/3 innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

The turning point of the game came in the bottom of the eighth inning. With the score tied at two and WVC runners on first and third, Cypress reliever Andrew Banda bluffed a pickoff attempt to third before throwing to first. After a brief umpire discussion, that play was ruled a balk, allowing the runner from third to score the tiebreaking run.

Wagner came out for the top of the ninth and with the help of West Valley's third turned double play of the game, he was one out away from a complete game. A two-out walk to Cypress second baseman Travis Curry (2-for-3) ended Wagner's 122-pitch performance. Bryce Berry came in and hit leadoff hitter Bradley Navarro, bringing up Justin Tillar, who led all of California with 22 home runs, including a solo HR earlier in the evening. 

But Berry buckled down and coaxed a game-ending grounder to first to end the threat.

WVC's David Estrada greeting McGuire on the second pitch of the game with a solo home run to right, putting the Vikings in front, 1-0. A Cypress throwing error in the bottom of the fourth inning allowed West Valley to extended its lead to 2-0, but the Chargers began to find some success against Wagner in the middle innings.

Navarro (3-for-4 with 1 RBI) drove in Cypress' first run in the top of the fifth before Tillar's solo bomb to straightaway center evened the score in the top of the sixth.

Isaac Hawthrone was WVC's lone multi-hit collector, going 2-for-3, while Estrada, Carmelo Rivera and Xander Sielken each collected and scored a run for the Vikings.

(Tony Altobelli, CCCSIA)