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Offensive outburst lifts Coyotes in Foothill opener
Eight-run sixth paces team in first home game

By Nathan Ahle, The Daily Independent

"Our offense came out like gang- busters"

Despite a steady rain that soaked the field at the Dawg Yard during the past week, the Cerro Coso Coyotes baseball team took to the turf Thursday in the Foothill Conference opener against the Barstow College Vikings.

Barstow, a perennial Foothill doormat, came into the game with a three-game winning streak, and seemed to be riding high heading into the game. However, roster issues and defensive miscues doomed Barstow, as the Coyotes rolled to a 17-5 win.

Coyotes Head Coach Dick Adams said that the team wanted to come out and "protect its home turf," and the 7-3 Cerro Coso team did just that, scoring five runs on four hits in the first inning.

"Our offense came out like gangbusters," said Adams.

The big hit in the first inning came off the bat of catcher Adam Auer. After Nick Wagner singled and stole second, he reached third on a fielding error by Barstow third-baseman Edgar Lopez that allowed Ryan Penn to reach first. Coyote first-baseman Matt Smith walked to load the bases, and Auer drilled a single back up the middle into centerfield, allowing Wagner and Penn to score. Smith later scored on a passed ball, and Caleb Gallagher and Norm Love followed with doubles that brought in two more runs.

The Vikings (3-7, 0-1 Foothill) got on the board in the top of the second inning, when Coyote starter Ryan Hayden walked Jason Maestas with the bases loaded.

However, Cerro Coso (7-3, 1-0 Foothill) responded with a pair in the bottom half of the inning, as Penn drove in Kip Keith, who reached on an error, and Smith drove in Wagner, who had walked, on a sacrifice fly to make the score 7-1.

Barstow climbed back into contention in the middle innings, cutting the lead to 7-5 after 5 1/2 innings.

In the bottom of the sixth; however, the Coyotes broke the game open with eight runs, thanks in large part to four Barstow errors.

Antoine McLeod, Wagner, Penn, Smith, Auer, Gallagher, Love, Rodney Black, and Keith all collected hits in the inning, with McLeod rapping two singles. All eight Coyote runs came with two out, after Barstow first-baseman Nate Haberkorn missed a tag at first base for what would have been the third out.

Up 15-4, the Coyotes cruised the rest of the way, scoring two more in the seventh off Vikings' reliever Shawn Heet.

Hayden improved to 3-0 on the season, pitching seven innings and allowing five runs, two of which were earned, on nine hits, walking one and striking out five. Junior Dawkins and Ben Douglas pitched an inning each in relief, and each hurler struck out two.

"Barstow's pesky," said Adams. "Mike Gorman (Barstow's coach) always get his team ready to play."

The two teams will renew pleasantries Saturday at a doubleheader at Victor Valley College. Barstow will be considered the home team.

The Coyotes plan to start Matt Smith and Ryan Penn in the doubleheader. Smith is the newest Coyote, having been with the team less than two weeks.

"We're going to start him (Smith) and see what we get," said Adams. "Having him puts us at another level."

February 27, 2004

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