Pacifica turns to Chad Gurnea to close out win over Cypress - Los Angeles Times
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Pacifica turns to Chad Gurnea to close and he delivers in win over Cypress

Relief pitcher Chad Gurnea embraces starting pitching Logan Brady after Pacifica's 4-2 win over Cypress.
Relief pitcher Chad Gurnea, right, embraces starting pitching Logan Brady after Pacifica’s 4-2 victory over Cypress.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
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As hard-throwing Chad Gurnea of Garden Grove Pacifica walked in from the bullpen in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s Empire League showdown with Cypress, the walk-up song from Metallica deployed for Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, “Enter Sandman,” was blaring from the P.A. system.

Normally a starter, Gurnea was part of a bold strategy coach Mike Caira decided to use: Play as if it were the playoffs. So Caira put unbeaten Logan Brady on the mound to start the game and brought in Gurnea to close. Forget that there would be another game against Cypress on Thursday.

Gurnea struck out five in three scoreless innings of relief to help Pacifica come away with a 4-2 victory and clinch at least a share of the Empire League championship. Pacifica (21-2, 9-0) and Cypress (20-7, 8-1) will do it all over again Thursday.

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Gurnea and Brady embraced soon after Gurnea got a flyout to end the game. Who’s available to pitch Thursday remains to be seen.

“All hands on deck,” Caira told his team afterward. “Believe in the plan.”

Aiden Marquez had three hits for Pacifica and delivered a key RBI double in the fourth inning to break a 2-2 deadlock.

Gurnea now has 90 strikeouts this season.

“Very confident,” Marquez said when asked how he was feeling when Gurnea was brought in from the bullpen.

The pitching plans for Cypress were uncertain. Two starting pitchers were unavailable because of injuries, forcing closer Matthew Morrell to start. He started losing control of his fastball, and Pacifica took advantage. Both teams are headed to the Division 1 playoffs next week.

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