Vikings Power Past No. 7 Cypress with Explosive Offense

The Long Beach City College baseball team delivered a statement win on Monday afternoon, taking down No. 7 Cypress College in a commanding 15-7 victory.

After falling behind 3-2 in the second inning, Long Beach responded in a big way in the third. Designated hitter Aaron Mingo ripped a clutch two-run single to bring home first baseman Max Ghiglieri and center fielder Danny Rodriguez, tying the game at 3-3. The Vikings then took control in the fourth, capitalizing on Cypress' defensive struggles. Shortstop Jackson Pohl scored on a catcher's error to put Long Beach ahead, and Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to make it 5-3. The rally continued as third baseman Logan Thurman and second baseman Alex de Leon each reached on errors, allowing three more runs to cross the plate, giving the Vikings an 8-3 cushion.

Cypress attempted to claw back with two runs in the fifth, but Long Beach kept the pressure on. Left fielder Caleb Brandon roped an RBI double to push the lead to 9-5, and Ghiglieri put the game further out of reach with a two-run blast to left field, making it 11-5.

The Chargers added single runs in the sixth and eighth, but the Vikings sealed the victory with a three-run eighth inning, highlighted by catcher Gavin Murphy's two-run single.

On the mound, Dylan Burton (1-0) earned the win in relief, working 2.1 innings while allowing just two runs. Sean Lovett, Benjamin Dorantes, and Adrian Arellano provided strong support out of the bullpen, limiting Cypress to four runs over the final five innings.

"We've won six of our last seven games. In that stretch, we have won some close games and beaten some top-ranked teams. We're really getting on track," said Head Coach Casey Crook. "We always had the players to win like this. For whatever reason, it took us a while to learn how to truly compete. We are doing it now, and it's not too late to make a really good run."

The Vikings will look to continue their hot streak in their next matchup at Santa Ana College on Tuesday, March 18 at 2 p.m.