Cerritos Returns the Favor by Knocking out Cypress to Advance to Final
May 20 , 2007

Chino Hills, Calif. – Two days ago, Cypress knocked Cerritos into the losers’ bracket. Sunday morning, the Falcons returned the favor in a much bigger way, knocking the defending state champions out of the state tournament with a 3-2 win in the losers’ bracket final.

Cerritos (38-10-1) advanced to the state title game for the first time since winning the inaugural championship in 1978. The Falcons are also the first team since Saddleback in 1999 to reach the finals with less than 40 wins.

Jessica Navarro allowed two runs and eight hits for the victory, however the celebration was tempered by the loss of cleanup hitter Vanezza Martin del Campo to an injury in the top of the seventh inning.

With the defeat, Cypress (52-6) had its bid for an unprecedented sixth state championship ended.

The Chargers started the game with a bang, as Amanda Boyd hammered Navarro’s third pitch of the game over the left field fence for a quick 1-0 advantage.

However, the Falcons (38-10-1) rallied in the bottom of the inning with three runs on four hits, capped by Stephanie Lomeli’s RBI single to chase starting pitcher SydneyRae Woolley.

Woolley (17-2) was charged with four hits and all three runs, and finished the year with two losses and eight earned runs after allowing just 12 earned runs in her previous 26 appearances during the year.

Cypress responded with a run in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Gabrielle Woody, but the the rally was snuffed when she was thrown out at second trying to steal on a tight play. Chargers head coach Brad Pickler was then ejected after a brief argument with the third base umpire.

Cypress had one last chance in the seventh, as Caitlin McGrath and Boyd reached on singles and eventually moved to second and third. But Navarro got Woody on a flyout to left field to end the game.