9-3 Coyotes sweep past Barstow
By Nathan Ahle, The Daily Independent
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"We just put the pressure on them" |
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The Cerro Coso Coyotes continued their strong early-season play Saturday
with a doubleheader sweep of the Barstow College Vikings.
In the first game, Matt Smith earned a win on the mound and hit the
team's first homerun of the season, as Cerro Coso won 15-9.
"Smith threw very well through the first three innings," said Coyotes
Head Coach Dick Adams.
The Coyotes (9-3, 3-0 Foothill) got two runs in the first two innings,
with Nick Wagner's second-inning triple being the big blow.
Cerro Coso picked up two runs in the fourth, and kept the pressure on
with three runs in the fifth and an eight-run sixth that broke the game
open.
"We just put the pressure on them," said Adams.
Matt Ellis started for Barstow, but was knocked out and was relieved by
Edgar Lopez.
Smith's three-run homer capped the game.
"He just pounded the ball," said Adams.
In the nightcap, Ryan Penn pitched a complete-game shutout for his third
win of the season.
"Penn was just dealing," said Adams.
Penn (3-1) struck out 12 Vikings on the afternoon, and allowed only four
hits.
Three Coyotes (Smith, Caleb Gallagher and Penn) pitched in the
doubleheader, and none of them allowed a walk. The hurlers combined for
18 strikeouts and allowed only nine runs in 16 innings.
Offensively, the Coyotes chipped away at the Vikings throughout the
second game, scoring one run in the second inning, three in the third,
two in the fourth, one in the seventh and eighth, and two runs in the
ninth.
The second inning's key hit was a single by Rodney Black that drove in
Gallagher from second. The three-run third included a key run-scoring
single by Smith.
"We just kept chipping away," added Adams.
The Coyotes are a perfect 3-0 in Foothill Conference play, and will
travel to Rancho Cucamonga Thursday to face the Chaffey College
Panthers, one of the top teams in conference play. This weekend, the
team will host the Panthers in a Saturday doubleheader.
"We've got our work cut out for us," said Adams. "But we're excited; we
just have to keep it going."
February 29, 2004
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