Cypress Beats Orange Coast Behind Corona

The confidence Cypress Coach Scott Pickler has in starter Ron Corona was put to the test Friday in a Southern California playoff game against visiting Orange Coast.

OCC had a five-run lead after two innings but Pickler remained with Corona, who settled down while Cypress rallied for a 10-5 victory.

“He’s our best,” Pickler said. “I thought if we scored some runs he would be a little tougher.”

The runs started to come in the fifth when the Chargers, who have won nine in a row, got four. Two more came across in the sixth, both on wild pitches.

Adam Spiker’s home run to right started a three-run seventh that also included a two-out RBI bunt single by Gerald Laird, who also had an RBI single in the fifth.

Brandon Pack had an RBI double in the eighth for Cypress (33-12-1), which plays host to Long Beach at 11 today in the winners’ bracket. Long Beach beat Cerritos, 5-4, Friday.

Orange Coast plays Cerritos at 10 at Santa Ana College in an elimination game.

The Pirates (29-19) took a 3-0 lead in the first on Ryan Clark’s 17th home run and got RBI singles from Brian Wahlbrink and Matt Pope in the second.

Corona, who finished with 10 strikeouts, then took over. He gave up two hits and two walks over the final seven innings. He is 10-4.

“I new I had to turn it up a notch,” the sophomore right-hander said. “That’s what I condition for, the later innings.”