Cypress’ Pickler Wins 500th Game as Coach

Scott Pickler said he doesn’t recall his first victory as Cypress College baseball coach. But his most recent will be hard to forget.

Pickler, 49, earned his 500th victory Tuesday when catcher Jake Kungl belted a three-run, ninth-inning homer that gave the Chargers an 8-5 victory over Santa Ana in an Orange Empire Conference game at Cypress.

Trailing, 5-3, the Chargers tied the game on Kevin Snapp’s one-out, two-run double. After an intentional walk, Kungl hit Ron Aparicio’s second pitch over the left-field field fence for the victory.

After coaching at Loara and Savanna high schools, Pickler moved to Cypress in 1986, where he has compiled a 500-233 mark.

Brandon Luna (3-1) retired all seven batters he faced to record the victory for Cypress (20-4, 7-4), which needed the conference victory to keep pace with first-place Santa Ana (21-3, 10-3).

In another conference game:

Mt. San Antonio 8, Orange Coast 4--Jason Marcus and Tony Ortiz hit home runs and Jose Munoz had a double and two RBIs for visiting Mt. San Antonio, which scored three runs in the eighth inning to overcome a one-run deficit.

Notes

Eddie Rapp has been named women’s volleyball coach at Fullerton College, the school announced Tuesday. Rapp, who coached Santa Margarita High to four consecutive girls’ Southern Section titles from 1996 to 1999 and boys’ titles in 1997 and ‘98, replaces Jerry Gregg, who did not apply for the job when it became a full-time position.

The school also announced that Thom Kaumeyer has been named an assistant football coach. Kaumeyer had a five-year NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Giants.