Eduardo Miranda
The Daily Independent
The Cerro Coso baseball team opened a three-game home series against Victor Valley and took the first game after scoring two late runs to seal a 5-3 win. The Coyotes and Rams went into the bottom of the eight tied at 3-3 after both teams traded leads. With two outs, catcher Garren Gledhill hit a two-run double to score what became the winning runs for the Coyotes. Cerro Coso improves to 4-2 in Inland Empire Athletic Conference and 11-11 overall. The second game of the series was set for Thursday but due to high wind the game has been rescheduled. The Coyotes and Rams will finish the series with the next game set for Saturday and the final game on Sunday.
The Coyotes started Michael Karlin on the mound who threw an inning giving up two hits for an earned run. Carson Lee came on and threw for four innings giving up two hits for an earned run with a strikeout. Kanon Welbourne closed the game throwing an inning giving up two hits for a run with two walks and seven strikeouts.
The Cerro Coso bats had 27 at bats for five runs on seven hits with five RBIs. They struck out three times and had eight batters walked with eight runners left stranded. Gledhill led the Coyotes with two RBIs on four at bats and two hits. Ariel Rodriguez had an RBI on two at bats and a hit. Seth Moore had an RBI on four at bats and two hits. Cole Fowler had an RBI on two at bats with a hit.
The Coyotes and Rams will finish the series with back-to-back games on Saturday and Sunday at Cerro Coso.
The Coyotes fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Victor Valley scored a run on a single with two outs. The two teams remained in a stalemate until the top of the fifth when the Rams scored another run. Victor Valley started the inning with a leadoff double and advanced the runner to third on a groundball. The Rams then scored on an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, the Coyotes scored their first run after Cole Fowler reached first on a walk. Jonluke Hobdy got a hit to reach first and move Fowler to second, but Gledhill hit a groundball that resulted in Fowler being out at third and moved the runners. Rodriguez got an RBI single that brought Hobdy home and moved Gledhill to second.
The Coyotes held the Rams scoreless in the top of the fifth and in the bottom of the inning tied the game. Victor Valley got the first two batters ground out and fly out but walked Fraser to first. Fowler was at bat and hit an RBI triple to score Fraser. The Coyotes took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the seventh beginning with Gledhill getting on base as the leadoff batter. Rodriguez groundout to first but moved Gledhill to second, and he took third on a wild pitch. Moore singled for an RBI bringing home Gledhill and giving the home team a 3-2 lead.
The Coyotes lead did not last long with Victor Valley scoring a run in the top of the of the eight to tie the game at 3-3. The Rams scored the run on a groundball with one out. The Coyotes went to the bottom of the eight tied at 3-3 and needed to score to put themselves in position to steal a home win. Aidan Johnson was the leadoff batter and he walked to reach first. Fraser grounded out to move Johnson to second, and Fowler walked to put runners on second and first. Hobdy was at bat and hit a fly ball to center field. Gledhill went up and hit a two-run double bringing home Johnson and Fraser.
