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Dawg-gone good start

Coyotes fluster Roadrunners in Foothill tourney opener

By Nathan Ahle, The Daily Independent

"Our motto all season long has been 'we persevere because we apply pressure'"

Rio Hondo Roadrunners Head Baseball Coach Mike Salazar headed to the mound in the sixth inning and tapped his right arm.

"Which one, Coach?" asked the umpire, motioning to the two right-handers in the right-field bullpen.

"I don't care, pick one," snapped Salazar.

This was the way the day went for the Roadrunners Tuesday afternoon against the Cerro Coso Coyotes in the first game of the Foothill Conference Tournament at the Dawg Yard. By the time Salazar made his pitching change, the fourth of the game for his team, Cerro Coso was ahead 11-4 en route to a 15-7 win.

Cerro Coso left-fielder Caleb Gallagher drills a base hit during the Coyotes' four-run fifth inning against Rio Hondo Tuesday. Gallagher went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI on the day. DAILY INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY NATHAN AHLE.

"Our motto all season long has been 'we persevere because we apply pressure," said Coyotes Head Coach Dick Adams.

Adams was pleased with the Coyotes' persistence, as the team scored in seven of their eight trips to the plate.

The team started things off for starter Ryan Penn (10-3) with a two-run first inning, and the offense snowballed from there. In that first inning, left-fielder Caleb Gallagher drilled a two-run triple to the left-centerfield gap, scoring Matt Smith and Adam Auer.

The Dawgs added three in the second, capped by a run-scoring triple by Kip Keith.

For his part, Penn held down the fort in all but two innings, earning him a piece of Cerro Coso history. The right-handed sophomore tied Jason Mackintosh for the school's career wins record with 21 with an eight-inning, seven-run effort. Penn also struck out nine.

Ryan Penn - all smiles
Cerro Coso right-hander Ryan Penn is all smiles in the dugout during Cerro Coso's 15-7 win over Rio Hondo Tuesday in the Foothill Conference Tournament. Penn's eight-inning performance gave him his 21st win as a Coyote, tying him for the school record with Jason Mackintosh.

"It feels good," said Penn when asked about the win.

"But there's another game, and another game, and another game...," he added, referring to a possible state playoff run.

Rio Hondo added four runs in the third inning off Penn, but the righty rallied to shut down the Roadrunners in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Cerro Coso (23-11, 19-6 Foothill) broke the game wide open in a four-run fifth inning in which the team sent all nine Coyotes to the plate.

Another school record was set during the game, as freshman Rodney Black was hit twice, giving him 20 free passes on the year, a new CCCC mark, besting Trent Loucks' 1997 mark of 19.

"How does it feel? It hurts," said Black with a smile.

Darren Green closed out the win for Coyotes. The sophomore from Boron, affectionately referred to by teammates as "Booger," pitched a scoreless ninth.

The Coyotes will host College of the Desert as the tournament continues Thursday. Matt Smith will take the hill, and Adams expects to see COD starter Tyler Cross, who pitched a complete-game against Cerro Coso Saturday.

April 28, 2004

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