Griffins’ thrill ride goes all the way to very finish

By ECS Staff
Updated: May 22, 2016

Grossmont College readies for Saturday's game at Cypress

Cypress celebrates its series clinching victory over Grossmont on Saturday.

2016 GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASEBALL

By Chris Davis
© East County Sports.com

CYPRESS (5-22-16) — It isn’t the ride that fans do not like when it comes to JC Baseball at Grossmont College, it is that sudden stop at the end of the season. Well, that stop happened on Saturday (May 21).

After the fifth seeded Grossmont College Griffins season came to an end with an 11-10 loss to the fourth seeded Cypress College Chargers, head coach RANDY ABSHIER tweeted out the following. “I couldn’t be more proud of a team than I am right now. It was a great year #GCBaseballStrong”

The Griffins end the season 31-12 and 19-5 in Pacific Coast Athletic Conference play and finish as one of the final eight teams in the State of California to be playing baseball on the Junior College level. That 19-5 record in PCAC play garnered them a Conference Championship.

Just like Friday, the Griffins had a pair of home runs. On Saturday the sluggers were sophomore JUSTIN MITCHELL (Granite Hills) and freshman TREVOR BEARD (San Clemente). Both Grossmont batters had four RBI’s on the day to cap off their seasons.

On the mound, freshman DONAVON McCRYSTAL (10-1, West Hills) had his only bad start occur in what would become the final game of a fantastic season. McCrystal went 2 and 2/3 innings allowing eight hits and 11 runs (only four earned) while walking two and striking out one.

Cypress (30-13) scored all 11 of their runs in the first three innings as they were the designated road team in the contest. Then the Griffin come back started.

With one out in the bottom of the third, freshman MICHAEL DIFFLEY (Granite Hills) singled to shortstop. Freshman CABOT VAN TIL (Patrick Henry) reached on a fielder’s choice. Diffley looked to be out, but a throwing error by the Cypress first baseman allowed him to go to third instead. Van Til was caught stealing, but while the Chargers were dealing with the freshman, Diffley came in to score to make it 11-1 Cypress.

One inning later, freshman ROBERT BOSTEDT (Granite Hills) singled to right field. Mitchell thought that was such a good idea he also hit a single to right field, allowing Bostedt to move to second. Beard got his first two RBI’s of the game on a triple to right field scoring both Bostedt and Mitchell to close the gap to 11-3. Following a strike out, freshman JUSTEN BURKEY (San Pasqual) grounded out to second allowing Beard to score to make it 11-4.

The fifth inning saw the lead shrink even more for the Chargers. With one out, sophomore TANNER PERRY (Steele Canyon) singled to center field. Freshman NOAH STROHL (La Jolla) followed with his own single to center moving Perry to second. Bostedt walked to load the bases. Mitchell deposited a hanging curveball beyond the right field fence for a grand slam and closing the differential to 11-8.

The Griffin bats were held silent for the next two innings. In the eighth inning, the Green and Gold rallied, but couldn’t score.

Heading into the final half inning of the season, the Griffins were still trailing 11-8. But they wouldn’t go down quietly.

Strohl was hit by the first pitch that the Charger closer threw. After a pair of strike outs, Beard crushed a two-run home run to make it 11-10. Unfortunately, that would be the final score as the closer would go on to strike the final batter out.

Sectional Roundup:

All four (two in both Northern and Southern California) sectional series were closed out on Saturday. Next weekend, the final four teams will meet at Fresno City College to determine the State Champion. The #1 Northern seed will be Santa Rosa Junior College (35-8) who will be facing the #2 Southern team Cypress in the first game. The #1 Southern team is Golden West (29-14) will take on the #2 Northern team Cosumnes River College (34-10). It will be a double-elimination tournament for the State Championship.

Cypress vs Grossmont
@ Cypress, CA

5/21/2016 at 1:00 PM

Cypress
11

Grossmont
10

FINAL	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Cypress (30-13, 12-9)	3	3	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	11	11	2
Grossmont (31-12, 19-5)	0	0	1	3	4	0	0	0	2	10	12	4

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB
Cypress
Aaron Case cf	4	3	2	2	0	0	0
Brandon Gonzalez rf	4	2	2	1	0	0	0
Willie Aguilar 3b	5	2	2	5	0	0	0
Elijah Skipps dh	5	0	1	1	0	1	0
Nick Reeser lf	5	0	1	0	0	1	1
Cory Wildhagen lf	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bo Coolen 1b	4	1	1	0	1	1	0
Nathan Rodriguez c	4	0	1	0	0	0	1
Paul Gomez ss	3	2	0	0	1	1	0
Logan Swofford 2b	3	1	1	1	0	2	2
John Santospago ph	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Angel Ortiz 2b	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Andrew Quezada p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Henry Martinez p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	38	11	11	10	2	6	4
BATTING
2B: Bo Coolen; Logan Swofford 3B: Willie Aguilar HR: Willie Aguilar RBI: Aaron Case 2; Brandon Gonzalez; Willie Aguilar 5; Elijah Skipps; Logan Swofford Sac: Aaron Case Sac fly: Brandon Gonzalez GIDP: Brandon Gonzalez
BASERUNNING

FIELDING
E: Bo Coolen; Paul Gomez

HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB
Grossmont
Cabot Van til lf	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Curren Facer lf	2	0	0	0	0	1	0
Tanner Perry cf	5	1	2	0	0	1	2
Noah Strohl dh	4	2	1	0	0	0	2
Robert Bostedt rf	3	2	1	0	2	1	0
Justin Mitchell 1b	5	2	2	4	0	3	0
Travor Beard c	5	2	2	4	0	0	0
Andres Rios 2b	5	0	1	0	0	4	1
Justen Burkey 3b	4	0	1	1	0	1	1
Michael Diffley ss	4	1	2	0	0	1	0
Donavon McCrystal p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Craig Grubbe p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Aaron Cross p	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	39	10	12	9	2	12	6
BATTING
3B: Travor Beard HR: Justin Mitchell; Travor Beard RBI: Justin Mitchell 4; Travor Beard 4; Justen Burkey
BASERUNNING
CS: Cabot Van til
FIELDING
E: Justen Burkey; Michael Diffley 2; Donavon McCrystal DP: Justin Mitchell; Michael Diffley

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
Cypress
Andrew Quezada (W, 9-3)	7.2	11	8	7	2	8	1
Henry Martinez (Sv, 1)	1.1	1	2	2	0	4	1
Totals	9.0	12	10	9	2	12	2
PITCHING
Batters Faced: Andrew Quezada 37; Henry Martinez 6 HBP: Andrew Quezada; Henry Martinez

PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR
Grossmont
Donavon McCrystal (L, 10-1)	2.2	8	11	4	2	1	1
Craig Grubbe	5.1	3	0	0	0	3	0
Aaron Cross	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Totals	9.0	11	11	4	2	6	1
PITCHING
Batters Faced: Donavon McCrystal 21; Craig Grubbe 18; Aaron Cross 3

SCORING SUMMARY
CYPRESS – TOP 1ST
W. Aguilar tripled to center field, 2 RBI; B. Gonzalez scored; A. Case scored, unearned.
E. Skipps grounded out to ss, RBI; W. Aguilar scored.
CYPRESS – TOP 2ND
L. Swofford doubled to left field, RBI; P. Gomez scored.
A. Case reached first on an error by p, SAC, bunt, A. Case advanced to second; L. Swofford scored.
B. Gonzalez flied out to cf, sacrifice fly, RBI; A. Case scored, unearned.
CYPRESS – TOP 3RD
A. Case singled to center field, 2 RBI; P. Gomez scored, unearned; B. Coolen scored, unearned.
W. Aguilar homered to left field, unearned, 3 RBI; B. Gonzalez scored, unearned; A. Case scored, unearned.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 3RD
, picked off, Cabot Van ti out at first p to 1b to ss to 2b, caught stealing; Michael Diff scored, unearned.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 4TH
Travor Beard tripled to right field, 2 RBI; Justin Mitch scored; Robert Boste scored.
Justen Burke grounded out to 2b, RBI; Travor Beard scored.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 5TH
Justin Mitch homered to right field, 4 RBI; Robert Boste scored; Noah Strohl scored; Tanner Perry scored.
GROSSMONT – BOTTOM 9TH
Travor Beard homered, 2 RBI; Noah Strohl scored.