FULLERTON – Orange County has several high school baseball teams that are viable candidates for the championship in CIF Southern Section Division 1.
Cypress strengthened its credentials Thursday with a 3-1 win over Bishop Amat in the National Classic championship game at Amerige Park.
-
Cypress first baseman Nick Montgomery connects with a the ball to hit a two-run homerun against Bishop Amat in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Cypress shortstop Luke Matlock bobbles the ball as Bishop Amat’s Daniel Marquez steals second base in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Cypress first baseman Nick Montgomery is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run against Bishop Amat in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Cypress relief pitcher Zack Ocampo pitched the final two innings against Bishop Amat in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Players on the Bishop Amat bench get up to congratulate Brenden Rodriguez after he scored a run against Cypress in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Bishop Amat starting pitcher Efren Miranda delivers a pitch against Cypress in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Bishop Amat left fielder Jacob Hernandez twists around to catch a long fly ball to end the inning against Cypress in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
-
Cypress player rush the mound after beating Bishop Amat in the championship game of the National Classic at Amerige Park in Fullerton on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
The Centurions (17-3-2) won the prestigious tournament for the first time. They are ranked No. 8 in the CIF-SS Division 1 top 10. Other O.C. teams in the Division 1 rankings are No. 1 Orange Lutheran, No. 4 Santa Margarita, No. 5 Villa Park, No. 6 Huntington Beach, No. 7 Servite, No. 9 JSerra and No. 10 Trabuco Hills.
Cypress beat Santa Margarita 7-2 in the National Classic semifinals Wednesday. The Centurions also defeated Alemany and South Hills in the tournament.
Centurions sophomore first baseman Nick Montgomery hit a two-run home run and drove in all three runs for his team Thursday. Montgomery, who committed to Arizona State, was named tournament MVP.
Bishop Amat (13-6) reached the National Classic final with tournament wins over Palos Verdes, St. John Bosco and El Dorado. Lancers senior left-hander Lorenzo Gomez was named top pitcher of the tournament.
C H A M P I O N S!
Another thriller in Fullerton as your Centurions beat Bishop Amat 3-1 to capture the National Classic title.
Morrell (W, 1-1) 5ip, 1r, 5ks
O’campo (Save, 1) 2ip, 0rMontgomery 2-2, Hr, 3 Rbi
Matlock 2-3, double pic.twitter.com/aF24qt0avu— Cypress Baseball (@CypCentBaseball) April 8, 2022
Cypress coach John Weber has entered his team in the National Classic before, but this was the Centurions’ first championship of the tournament that started in 1990.
“It’s an unbelievable tournament with great prestige and great history,” Weber said. “We’ve been in it a ton of times and we’ve never won, so this is really cool. It’s good for us, it’s good for the kids.”
And it just might continue the momentum Cypress has created lately, having won six straight games.
“And maybe we get a little bit of a judgment about where we’re really at,” Weber said.
Cypress junior right-handed pitcher Matt Morrell, who committed to Oregon State, shut out Bishop Amat for five innings before giving up a run in the sixth. Zack Ocampo pitched the sixth and seventh innings.
The Centurions scored a run in the top of the first inning. Luke Matlock hit a double into the left-center field gap and scored on Montgomery’s single.
Matlock led off the fourth inning with a single. One out later, Montgomery launched one that hooked around the foul pole in left field for a two-run homer.
Cypress sophomore first baseman Nick Montgomery hit a two-run HR and was named MVP of the National Classic. Cypress beat Bishop Amat 3-1 in the tournament championship game @ocvarsityguy @ocvarsity @mikehuntley63 pic.twitter.com/kctsGROrXN
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) April 8, 2022
“I thought it was going to go foul,” said Montgomery, who has played many travel ball games at Amerige Park, which was built in its current form in 1934. “But then I saw it go into the trees.”
Montgomery had two hits against Santa Margarita in the semifinals.
“I’ve been hot at the plate, seeing the ball really well,” said Montgomery, who is 6-foot-3, 178 pounds. “We faced some pretty good arms, so I m very happy having success against those kinds of guys.”
Cypress is 4-0 in the Empire League. The Centurions return to league play next week with two games against Crean Luthean.
Bishop Amat, in second place behind Serra of Gardena in the Del Rey League, plays a nonleague game Wednesday against Village Christian.
from Signage https://ift.tt/6PmwQIn
via Irvine Sign Company
