Cypress Follows Daeley’s Lead to Victory

SANTA ANA — Scott Daeley showed the value of an effective leadoff hitter Friday in helping Cypress beat Los Angeles Harbor, 6-3, in a Southern California baseball playoff game at Rancho Santiago.

He singled in the first and seventh and went on to score each time. He also had a run-scoring single in the eighth. He then capped his day by going to the fence and reaching to make a fine catch in right field for the first out in the ninth.

“Daeley had a great game,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “He’s such a clutch player.”

Never was that more true than in the seventh when Cypress trailed, 3-2.

Daeley started the inning by ramming a fastball into center for single off starter Justin Miller.

Miller came in with a 10-2 record and had struck out 124 in 101 innings. But he gave up 10 hits and only struck out four in seven innings Friday in taking the loss for Los Angeles Harbor (34-12-1).

“We knew he was a good pitcher but we felt we would get it done,” Daeley said.

Cypress (36-10-1) tied the score when Craig Kuzmic followed with a double deep into the gap in right-center that enabled Daeley to score from first base.

Kuzmic had been jammed with a fastball and popped up in his previous at-bat and was looking for a similar pitch.

“I knew I had to come up clutch,” said Kuzmic, who has an 18-game hitting streak. “They had kind of quick-pitched me earlier and I had a feeling they would come right back with a fastball in.”

Greg Jacobs put Cypress ahead, 4-3, with a double off the right-field fence. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brian Flanagan, who had driven in two runs with a ground out and a bad-hop single earlier in the game.

Jacobs then scored to make it 5-3 when a pitchout went off the glove of catcher Gary Sloan for a passed ball.

Matt Williams was hit by a pitch, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Nahum Renteria and scored on Daeley’s single in the eighth to make it 6-3.

Brian Greene (7-2) gave up three hits in 3 1/3 innings of relief of starter Jacobs to get the victory.

Jacobs gave up six hits and three runs, two of which were earned, in 5 2/3 innings.

The Chargers play Riverside at 11 a.m. today at Rancho Santiago.

Cypress took three of four during the regular season against Riverside.

Riverside Coach Dennis Rogers said sophomore Rafael Rigueiro (7-3) will start.

The winner moves on to the championship game at 11 a.m. Sunday.