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Cypress baseball beats Pacifica with HR in 9th inning to claim share of Empire crown

April 28, 2023

CYPRESS — Chewy Thomas’ two-run home run in the ninth inning not only gave Cypress a 2-1 victory over Pacifica in a key Empire League game Thursday at Cypress High School.

The home run gave the Centurions (21-7, 9-1) a share of the league title. The Mariners (21-3, 9-1) had clinched a share of the tile by defeating the Centurions on Tuesday.

Cypress players celebrate at home plate after Chewy Thomas hit a game-winning, two-run home run to beat Pacifica 2-1 in nine innings. The win clinched a share of the Empire League title Thursday, April 27. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

Cypress’ Chewy Thomas was the star of the game Thursday by hitting a game-winning, two-run home run to beat Pacifica 2-1 on Thursday, April 27. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

Chewy Thomas ends his run around the bases by jumping onto home plate to give Cypress a 2-1 victory over Pacifica. Thomas hit a two-run home rin in the bottom of the ninth, and the win clinched a share of the Empire League title. (Photo by Lou Ponsi)

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The teams split their two league games against each other, but since the Centurions won a coin flip, they will go into the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs as the league’s No.1 entry, which could help them receive a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

Pacifica will be the league’s No. 2 entry.

Thomas’ game-winning blast capped a dramatic finish to the game, as it came after Chad Gurnea had hit a solo home run in the top of the inning to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

Nick Montgomery started off the inning for Cypress with a walk.

“I told my teammate Nick, just get on and I got you,” Thomas said. “I was just sitting fastball like every at-bat and just adjusted from there. And I got a pitch I could hit and luckily put a good swing on it and it got out.”

The pitching and defense for both teams was outstanding.

Gurnea was the starting pitcher for the Mariners and went seven innings before being replaced by Ayden Valdez in the eighth.

“We’ve faced a lot of really good arms and I compared him to some really good guys that we faced to my players,” Cypress coach John Weber said of Gurnea. “And our players were like, ‘No coach. He’s better.’ ”

Cypress starter Luke Matlock kept the Mariners off the board through four innings but got into some trouble by walking the first two batters in the fifth.

After a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third, Gabe Cobian entered the game in relief and pitched out of the jam with a flyout and strikeout, with an intentional walk in between.

After the intentional walk, Cobian retired nine in a row and didn’t allow a hit until Gurnea’s home run.

“Cobian came in and did an amazing job for us,” Weber said.

Weber said he did not tell his team that they had won the coin toss until after the game.

“I didn’t want to add anything more to the game,” he said. “I’ll use the cliché. When your back is against the wall, why add more information to it. For me as the coach and the guy that has to have a pulse on the group, I didn’t want to share that with them until just now.”

The Centurions and Mariners came into the contest ranked No. 7 and 9, respectively in the division. Weber expects his team to move up to No. 5 when the pairings are announced on Monday morning.

Weber said the Division 1 playoffs equate to the “best tournament in the country at this point.”

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Orange County Register

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Cypress baseball beats Pacifica with HR in 9th inning to claim share of Empire crown

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