CYPRESS – Cypress made the most of its three hits Tuesday in a 5-2 win over Servite in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 baseball second-round playoff game at Cypress High.
The Centurions (22-5-2) will be the home team Friday against Villa Park (26-4) in the quarterfinals at 3:15 p.m. Villa Park defeated San Dimas 9-8 in the second round Tuesday.
Cypress’ Abbrie Covarrubias (29) celebrates after being safe at third base against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite pitcher Andy Mike (9) during their loss to Cypress in their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Nick Montgomery (27) and Wyatt Rosales (44) celebrate after defeating Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Wyatt Rosales (44) delivers a pitch against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Abbrie Covarrubias (29) heads towards third base against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Xavier Cardenas (33) delivers a pitch against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Luke Matlock (36) slides into second base ahead of the throw to Servite’s Agustin Gutierrez (24) during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Xavier Cardenas (33) delivers a pitch against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Abbrie Covarrubias (29) celebrates after scoring against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Matthew Morrell (19) and Nick Montgomery (27) celebrate closing out the top of the 5th inning against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Camden Clewett (27) swings and misses against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Luke Matlock (36) delivers a pitch against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Miles Scott (8) rounds third on his way to score against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Xavier Cardenas (33) delivers a pitch against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Abbrie Covarrubias (29) slides into third base against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Miles Scott (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Servite’s Colin Galvin (29) delivers a pitch against Cypress during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cypress’ Bren Wilkinson (11), left, and Wyatt Rosales (44) are all smiles after Wilkinson caught a high pop-up foul ball behind home base to end the top of the 5th inning against Servite during their second round CIF-SS Division 1 baseball playoff game in Cypress, CA, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Cypress defeated Servite, 5 to 2. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“I looked at the scoreboard,” Cypress coach John Weber said, “and saw we had three hits today and I said, ‘I guess we got three timely good hits.’ “
They did.
Bren Wilkinson’s double in the second inning drove in John Short and Daniel Rodriguez, who reached on back-to-back, two-out walks. That put the Centurions on top 2-0.
Servite tied it in the top of the third inning. Austin Rabago’s double drove in Miles Scott and Rabago scored on Auggie Gutierrez’s sacrifice fly.
Cypress’ second hit was Abbrie Covarrubias’ triple that started the third inning. He scored on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead.
The third Centurions hit was Daniel Rodriguez’s single that opened the fourth inning. He scored when Luke Matlock reached on an error. Covarubbias, who got on with a walk, scored when Nick Montgomery walked with the bases loaded.
Matlock started and pitched 4 1/3 innings to get the win. He is 9-1-1 and went into the game with a 1.70 ERA.
Servite finished the season 17-12. The Friars, No. 7 in this week’s Orange County top 25, finished third in the Trinity League. They advanced to the second round with a 3-2 win over Corona del Mar.
Weber called Servite “a really good team and a well-coached group,” so he felt fortunate that Cypress got the win with only three hits.
“Matlock battled and did a good job,” Weber said. “And how about the freshman kid?”
Cypress freshman lefty Wyatt Rosales, promoted to the varsity last month, handled the final 2 2/3 innings, shutting out the Friars on one hit.
Cypress, No. 6 in the county top 25, lost to Harvard-Westlake in the Division 1 quarterfinals last season. The Centurions won the Division 1 championship in 2019.
Cypress, seeded third in Division 1, had a first-round bye. The Centurions took a .312 team batting average into the playoffs. They scored 10 or more runs in five of their wins, including a 14-0 victory over Tustin in their final game of the regular season, so having a total of three hits was unusual.
Ten Orange County baseball teams advance to second round of CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs
“We didn’t get many hits,” Matlock said, “but we had the right hits at the right time.”
Cypress is one of six Orange County teams that will be playing Friday in the eight-team Division 1 quarterfinals. Orange Lutheran plays at Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, Huntington Beach is at Foothill, Villa Park is at Cypress and JSerra is at Harvard-Westlake.
JSerra lost to Harvard-Westlake in last season’s Division 1 championship game.
