On Wednesday, May 20, the second seeded Cupertino Pioneers fell 2-1 to the fifteenth seeded Independence 76ers in a CCS Division I Baseball Playoffs first round game at Cupertino.  

The game was a pitchers duel between Independence senior Jason Lin and Cupertino senior Kyle Avvakumovits.  Lin went the distance allowing the Pioneers 1 run on 3 hits, while Avvakumovits went five, allowing Indy 2 runs and also only 3 hits.  

The Pioneers’ only run of the afternoon came when Morgan Saenz singled home Daniel Kono in the bottom of the sixth.

The game was Cupertino’s first postseason appearance since 1999.

In an meeting earlier in the season between the two teams in Ted Tamone Memorial Tournament, Cupertino won 8-4.

The Pioneers finish the season with a 19-9 record and a first place finish in the El Camino Division, their first league title since 1997. Independence improved their record to 21-7.

The game marked the final appearance in a Cupertino uniform for seniors Kyle Avvakumovits, Daniel Kono, Morgan Saenz, Jason "Rocket" Silveira, Alan Vigent and Riley Waite.

Cupertino: Daniel Kono 1B. Alan Vigent 1B, Morgan Saenz 1B, RBI.

Winning Pitcher: Jason Lin  (12-1), Losing Pitcher Kyle Avvakumovits (5-3)

Kyle Avvakumovits started for Cupertino

The Pioneers, from the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's El Camino Division, compiled a 19-8, 13-2 season record. The 76ers, from the Blossom Valley Athletic League's West Valley Division compiled a season record of 20-7, 19-2.

The two teams met earlier in the year at the Ted Tamone Memorial Tournament in Santa Clara, with Cupertino prevailing 8-4.

The winner of Wednesday's game will face the winner of the Salinas and Pioneer game, on Saturday, May 23.

Cupertino finishes the regular season at 19-8, 13-2.

The Pioneers scoring came in the bottom of the third,  which began with a pair of walks which quickly turned into two runs on a double by the inning's third hitter, freshman Ben Townsend.

Having made an impact as an offensive presence over the last three seasons, Morgan Saenz made himself a presence on the mound Wednesday, delivering six shutout innings, striking out seven, allowing only two hits, and giving up just one walk.

With the win Cupertino improves to 18-8, 12-2, maintaining it's one game lead over Gunn, and guaranteeing at least a co-championship in the El Camino Division.  

Cupertino survived a Fremont rally which saw the Firebirds load the  bases in the bottom of the seventh with no outs, to wind win 2-0 at Fremont on Friday afternoon.

The win guarantees Cupertino a top-two finish and automatic berth to CCS. Finishing position in league remains to be decided as they head into the final week of the season in first place, with a one game lead over Gunn.  Cupertino improves to 17-8, 11-2.

Kyle Avvakumovits started and picked up the win for Cupertino, and Josh Lonagbaugh collected the save.

Morgan Saenz 2B, Kyle Avvakumovits 1B, Ben Townsend 1B, Daniel Kono 1B.

WP: Kyle Avvakumovits  SV: Josh Longabaugh

Morgan Saenz doubled in the seventh

The game started off promising for Cupertino as centerfielder Kyle Avvakumovits doubled to lead off. He eventually scored to give the Pioneers the lead, but Monta Vista starter Sheldon McClelland turned out to be quite stingy, and Cupertino was not see another hit until the top of the eighth. 

Monta Vista recorded their first hit of the day in the second, but failed to score. With two out in the third, a single, hit batter and another single led to their tying the game on a disputed call in which Cupertino had apparently recorded the third out before the run scored, but that was not to be and the score at the end of three was 1-1.  Thiat was the last time Monta Vista would see a hit.

In the top of the eighth, Cupertino starter Ben Champion led off the inning with a walk. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Avvakumovits, then to third on a passed ball. The squeeze was on, and Champion crossed the plate on Ben Townsend’s sacrifice bunt.  Daniel Kono came to the plate and singled, giving Cupertino only its second hit of the afternoon.

Ben Champion (6-2) went the distance and picked up the win for Cupertino, giving up 1 run on 3 hits. Sheldon McClelland (8-2) went the distance for Monta Vista, giving up 2 runs and 2 hits.

With the win, Cupertino improves to 16-8, 10-2, and takes the 2015 series 2 games to 1.

Kyle Avvakumovits 2B, Daniel Kono 1B. WP: Ben Champion.

Kyle Avvakumovits lead off double

Ben Townsend Bunts and Ben Champion Comes Home on the Squeeze

Cupertino completed its sweep of the 2015 series with Santa Clara, as the Pioneers defeated the Bruins 7-2 Thursday afternoon in SCVAL El Camino Division action at Cupertino.

Cupertino scored first in the bottom of the second as Anthony Pozzetti doubled in a run, and then again two batters later when Ben Champion singled in a pair with two out.  Santa Clara answered back with two in the top of the third, and then it remained a one-run game at 3-2 through five-and-a-half, In the bottom of the sixth, Cupertino scored four to give itself some breathing room.  Morgan Saenz, Josh Longabaugh and Ben Champion all had singles in that inning.

Kyle Avvakumovits started and picked up the win for Cupertino, going five-and-a-third. Josh Longabaugh came on in relief and earned the save.

Ben Champion 1B (2), Anthony Pozzetti 2B, Josh Longabaugh 1B, Morgan Saenz 1B.  WP: Kyle Avvakumovits, SV: Josh Longabaugh.

Kyle Avvakumovits picked up the win

The Cupertino Pioneers defeated the Santa Clara Bruins 5-0 in an El Camino Division game Tuesday night at Washington Park.  

 

The game was a pitchers duel between the starters, with Cupertino’s Ben Champion giving up no runs and just two hits while striking out twelve in seven, and Santa Clara lefthander Jaren Washington giving up just one earned run on four hits, while striking out seven in six.

Anthony Pozzetti 1B (2), Kyle Avvakumvits 1B, Riley Waite 1B. WP Ben Champion

Ben Champion