Coyotes take see-saw battle with Chaffey
By Nathan Ahle, The Daily Independent
|
Cerro Coso catcher Adam Auer takes a crack at the ball during
Thursday's 12-6 Coyote win over the Chaffey College Panthers at the
Dawg Yard. Auer went 2-for-5 with four runs scored and a run batted
in. DAILY INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY MIKE DELANEY |
The Cerro Coso Coyotes baseball team began a crucial series with the
Chaffey College Panthers Thursday at the Dawg Yard, and got the series
started right with a 12-6 win over the Panthers.
Aside from a fluky six-run Chaffey fifth inning in which the Coyotes
committed two errors and were the victims of bad bounces, the previously
undefeated Panthers were held off the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, the Dawgs jumped out early, scoring a single run in the
second and fourth innings and two runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
However, the Panthers held a 6-4 lead into the seventh-inning stretch,
and with Coyote ace Matt Smith on the mound and standing in line to be
the losing pitcher, the possibility of a long, rough series was in the
cards.
However, Smith and the Coyotes came through in the clutch. In the bottom
of the seventh, Andrew Masojc reached on an error to start the inning,
and Kyle Cooper walked. Smith singled in Masojc, and Adam Auer singled
in Cooper. Tyler Curran faked a bunt and slashed a double that scored
Smith and gave the Coyotes the lead, and was followed by Paul Saville,
who singled in Auer, all with no one out.
Tony Teixeira singled in Curran to continue the merry-go-round, and
Saville scored later in the inning on an RBI groundout by Rodney Black.
Cerro Coso added two more runs in the eighth inning to hold on for the
win.
Smith (3-0) surrendered 14 hits and allowed six runs and struck out six.
Ryan Short came in with one out in the ninth inning and pitched the
final two outs to complete the game.
Cerro Coso Head Coach Dick Adams was pleased with the team's efforts in
coming back from behind after the big fifth inning by Chaffey.
The Coyotes and Panthers will renew pleasantries in Rancho Cucamonga on
Saturday in a doubleheader. Aaron Keplinger will start the first game
for Cerro Coso, with the second-game starter to be announced.
"Winning two out of three is a must," said Adams.
March 18, 2005
For more on this story please subscribe to The Daily Independent at:
dieditor@ridgecrestca.com
 Copyright
© 2005
The Daily Independent. Used by permission.
View Article on DI website
|
disportsdesk@ridgecrestca.com |
