Cypress Ousted by Cerritos

Cypress’ Jeff Pickler slumped over second base moments after the Chargers were eliminated by host Cerritos, 4-3, in 10 innings Sunday in the second round of the Southern California baseball playoffs.

Pickler had an opportunity, with two on and two outs, to send the game to the top of the 11th, but dropped a foul pop-up by Carlos Olea.

Given another chance, Olea lined a singled to left, driving in Norm Padilla from second and sending Cerritos to the State tournament, which starts Saturday in Fresno.

The Chargers (35-15-1) beat Cerritos, 9-5, earlier Sunday to force a second game.

Cypress scored first in the second game when Cerritos pitcher Jose Perraza walked Augie Ojeda with the bases loaded to force in Mark Selway in the second.

Cerritos (37-11) came back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring two runs with the help of three Cypress errors, and went ahead, 2-1.

But Cypress, which had won the State title here last year, rallied with single runs in the fourth and fifth to go ahead, 3-2.

Ara Petrosian, in relief of starter Andy Wetlinger, gave a strong performance for 5 2/3 innings, scattering six hits. But he gave up the tying run in the seventh when Olea doubled to drive in Matt Eeles to make it, 3-3.

Mario Opipari came in to relieve Petrosian in the eighth with runners on first and second, but got out of the the inning.

In the 10th, Opipari walked Padilla and Eeles after two outs and Olea followed with his game-winning heroics.

In the earlier game:

Cypress 9, Cerritos 5--Jeremy Booth hit two home runs, including a three-run shot over the left-field fence, to give Cypress an 8-5 lead in the seventh.

Israel Gonzalez finished the day with three hits and a run batted in for Cypress. Selway added three hits and three runs scored and David Trentine had two hits, two RBIs and was hit by a pitch twice.