For the first time in school history, the Cypress (Calif.) baseball and softball teams will play in the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section championship games in the same year.
It took late-inning heroics from both teams to make it happen.
The baseball team, ranked No. 5 in the Super 25, played a scoreless game through eight innings against La Mirada (Calif.)
Cypress pitcher Brett Wozniak, a Nebraska commit who entered the game with a 1.33 ERA, pitched 4 1/3 innings of two-hit baseball, according to the Orange County Register. He was relieved by Cal State Fullerton commit Cameron Repetti, who pitched the rest of the game and only allowed two base runners.
But La Mirada was matching them pitch-for-pitch, particularly early.
Michael DeHaro did not allow a hit through four innings and pitched seven total without giving up a run.
Finally, an unlikely hero came through.
Coach Dull and Coach Weber have led their teams to CIF semifinal wins today, and into the finals this weekend. Never have the softball and baseball teams competed in the CIF finals in the same year for CHS, until now! @CypressSoftball @CypCentBaseball pic.twitter.com/ubiiqs1huP
— Cypress HS Athletics (@CypHS_Athletics) May 15, 2019
Peter Werth, who had to sit for the first month of the season due to transfer rules, switched from first base to the outfield this season, according to the OC Register. He was hitting just 7-for-29.
But in the ninth inning, star freshman Luke Davis got a base hit. A pinch-runner, Christian Thompson, was inserted into the game and advanced to second base.
Werth stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball to left-center, driving home the walk-off run to advance the team to the state championship.
Cypress will take on Harvard-Westlake, ranked No. 11 in the Super 25, at Dodger Stadium on May 18.
But that’s not all Cypress will be looking forward to.
The softball team also advanced to the championship game after trailing 1-0 entering the sixth inning.
Sammy Diaz hit her first home run of the season in the bottom half of the frame. The two-run shot gave Cypress the lead and ultimately the win.
Get out of here! Junior third baseman and Iowa commit Sammy Diaz blasts one-out two-run home run in sixth and @CypressSoftball leads at @elmosoftball 2-1 @ocvarsity 🥎💯 pic.twitter.com/THJlRrS0UG
— Dan Albano (@ocvarsityguy) May 14, 2019
Up to that point, El Modena (Orange, Calif.) pitcher Katelin Reyes had been all but unhittable. She entered the game with a sub-2.00 ERA in 20 appearances totaling 115 innings, and the Centurions had proved no better against her than other competition.
That is, until Diaz stepped up and belted the home run.
Cypress’ Maddy Wilson gave the Centurions exactly what they’re accustomed to from their ace: a dominant outing.
The team has still not allowed more than one run in any postseason game this season
On May 18, Cypress face off against South High School (Torrance, Calif.) for the title.
It’s Centurions’ first appearance in the softball championship since 1992.
