Eduardo Miranda
The Daily Independent
The Cerro Coso baseball team hosted Mt. San Jacinto in back-to-back home Inland Empire Athletic Conference matches and split the two games losing the first game 11-6 but winning the second via walk-off single, 11-10. The Coyotes lost the series 2-1 to the Eagles to fall to 3-2 in conference and 10-11 overall. They are preparing to face Victor Valley in a three-game home series beginning Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. Head Coach Justus Scott spoke on splitting the home games against the Eagles.
"We needed it. There are several games of bad baseball that are unindicative of us. We are a better baseball team then that, better baseball players and sometimes you just go through it. And yesterday was a start even though the score might not dictate it, 11-6, we played pretty good seven innings of baseball after the second inning," he said. "And that is a start, and we had a start three or four times this year where we can turn a corner but we haven't. But today we did. Again, we didn't play very good baseball especially defensively and executing a handful of pitches that would have made it a lot easier on us. The main thing is the fight and you win a ball game."
In the first game of a home back-to-back, the Coyotes gave up seven runs in the second inning forcing them to play catch up the rest of the game. After giving up a run in the top of the fourth to fall behind 8-0, the home team showed some offensive light scoring four runs to cut the deficit in half at 8-4. But the Coyotes defense allowed a run to score in the fifth and sixth before scoring two runs in the bottom of the eight. The visitors added a run in the top of the ninth and the Coyotes were unable to complete a comeback win.
The second game had a different beginning with the home team jumping out to an early 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning. But horrible defense and missed routine plays allowed the visitors to score four runs in the top of the second but a run scored by Cerro Coso in the bottom of the inning tied the game at 4-4. The Coyotes offense came to life in the bottom of the third and scored five runs for a 9-4 lead and looked to be in control of the match. But the defensive struggles continued and allowed the Eagles to chip away at the Coyotes lead scoring two runs in the fourth and fifth, and a run in the sixth to cut the lead to one. The Mt. San Jacinto scored a run in the top of the seventh but the Coyotes responded scoring a run in the same inning to tie the game 10-10 with two innings remaining. The Coyotes held the Eagles scoreless in the eighth and ninth, and went into the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win the game and avoid extra innings.
Emiliano Curiel was the leadoff batter for the Coyotes and he was able to get a hit to reach first base. Justin Austin was at bat and hit a flyball to right field moving Curiel to second base, and that brought up Carson Lee who popped up to the shortstop. Gavin Fraser was next at bat and hit the walk-off single to left field that allowed Curiel to reach home from second base and avoid being swept by the Eagles. After the win, Scott spoke on his team overcoming a poor defensive performance to earn a win.
"It's big and I've said it before over the years, to me there is nothing more important at this level is to know you are never out of it and keep battling. You are going to make mistakes and you just have to overcome them," he said.
In game one, Cerro Coso started Carson Lee on the mound who went 1.1 innings giving up seven hits for seven runs all earned with two walks and two strikeouts. Trenton Doty was the first out of the bullpen and he gave up a hit for an earned run with four walks and three strikeouts. Romeo Rodriguez threw two innings giving up five hits for two runs, both earned, with a walk and two strikeouts. Angel Escobar was the final pitcher going three innings giving up two hits for one run with no walks and a strikeout.
Offensively, the Coyotes had 39 at bats with six runs on 12 hits with five RBIs and 14 runners left stranded. Catcher Garren Gledhill led the team with two RBIs and first baseman Seth Moore, designated hitter Justin Austin, and outfielder Cole Fowler had an RBI each.
In game two, Brandon Donohue started on the mound going 3.2 innings giving up 10 hits for six runs with five earned and two strikeouts. Angel Escobar went 0.1 innings giving up two hits for two earned runs. Johnathan Neal went four innings giving up two hits for two runs and three walks and three strikeouts. Romeo Rodriguez closed the game throwing a scoreless inning with a walk.
The offense had 37 at bats for 11 runs on 14 hits with 10 RBIs and six runners left on base. Gledhill and Fowler led the team with two RBIs and six other Coyotes had an RBI each.
The Coyotes continue conference play with a three-game homestand against Victor Valley followed by a three-game series with Chaffey with two road games and one home game. Scott spoke on the new format conference is using and what he wants to see from his players in the games against Victor Valley.
"It's down the line with Victor next week. We are playing three game sets and then singles this year, which is a little different from last year. The main thing when you are talking about conference play and giving yourself a chance to be in a playoff berth at the end of the year is you cannot get swept," he said. "You sweep the people you are supposed to, which so far, we are doing, but you can't get swept which we did today with that single win. Now if you are able to split with some good teams like Chaffey and San Jac, and then take care of business elsewhere you are in really good shape the last week of the season.
"The same energy, the same mindset of that we are going to win a baseball game from the first pitch to the last one. But now just simply better baseball execution. We make the routine plays, better outfield play, and certainly executing pitches in certain counts 0-2, 1-2. We weren't very good today but we overcame it. Very first pitch we hit are always a huge one, we find ourselves a lot of times down 1-0, 2-0, and it makes pitching harder and hitting easier."
Coyotes and Rams first game is Tuesday with the first pitch set for 2:30 p.m. Game two is Thursday with the first pitch at 2:30 p.m., and the final game is Saturday at 1 p.m.