Chargers Fall to Tigers 2-1 in Eight Innings

Back-to-back two-out hits gave Riverside College the win over Cypress on Wednesday.

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Stephanie Luhmann

Riverside, Calif. - Cypress College's hopes for an undefeated season in Orange Empire Conference play this year vanished yesterday afternoon after a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Riverside College (13-6, 7-2) on road Wednesday.

The second regular season matchup between the Chargers (17-4, 8-1) and the Tigers turned into a pitchers dual early on. Neither team could get their offense going against Cypress' Stephanie Luhmann (5-1) or Riverside's Nicole Zink (9-3).

Luhmann nearly pitched her way out of the eighth inning jam, but that last out turned out to be elusive. Luhmann was dealing all day and finished with 11 strikeouts in 7.2 innings on the mound for Cypress.

Riverside got on the board first with a run in the bottom half of the fourth, but Cypress would tie the game at 1-1 in the sixth after Chelsea Jewett legged out a bunt single, then stole second to give the Chargers a runner in scoring position. Tiffany Fox came through with a clutch RBI double that scored Jewett to get the game back to even at 1-1.

The Tigers looked to be going down in order in the bottom of the tenthinning before RCC strung together a pair of back-back hits to hand the Chargers their first OEC loss of the season, and fourth overall.

Cypress will return home on Friday to host Fullerton College at 2 p.m., in the first game of a four-game homestand.