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Cerro Coso drops fifth straight with 9-8 loss to Warriors

By Cheeto Barrera, Sports Editor, The Daily Independent

“This game put the ‘g' in the word ugly.”

More tweaking to the Cerro Coso lineup may be in store following a 9-8 loss to El Camino on Tuesday, the Dawgs' fifth in a row.

With short stop Mark Sayas out with a twisted ankle, coach Dick Adams is trying to patch together his infield all the while trying find a player to take over at third.

Coach Dick Adams said he was not happy with the way the team played the game, committing four errors through three innings and a starting pitcher who was tagged with seven runs as a result.

“This game put the ‘g' in the word ugly,” Adams said.

But for the mistakes that Cerro Coso made, El Camino nearly handed the game back on a silver platter with a pitching staff that had to dip into the bull pin by the second inning and couldn't find the strike zone reliably until the fourth inning.

Adams said he wasn't impressed with the Warrior pitching, especially coming off a week that featured really strong arms.

In Tuesday's game, the defense wasn't coming together, committing two errors in the first inning alone, en route to the Warriors putting up a four spot to open the game.

Cerro Coso didn't answer until its half of the second taking the lead with five runs behind, two of which came on El Camino wild pitches.

Royal Good provided the big hit with a triple that went to the wall in center, that a very shallow fielder was barely able to get a glove on.

The three bagger brought in two runs and cut the Warrior lead to 4-3. Good later scored on a wild pitch.

Good provided the best offense for the Coyotes, getting on base five times behind three hits and two walks - a home run shy of the cycle.

But each time the Dawg bats had a good inning, El Camino answered.

Cerro Coso's lead didn't last the next inning as the Warriors sent nine men to the plate, scoring three runs on three hits, aided by a throwing error to take a 7-5 lead.

Starter Jamie Cameron was forced out in the third inning charged with seven runs on six hits, none of them earned.

“The team is not jelling and I am not really sure why,” Adams said.

The Coyotes put together back-to-back doubles started by Good and driven home by Joe Proesl to cut the lead to 7-6.

But in the top of the fifth, a lead off walk led to an El Camino run to return to a two-run lead.

Cerro Coso bats came alive again in the sixth inning, tying the game at eight all on a single by Cameron White to score Good and a bases loaded walk to Andrew Hill.

El Camino responded in the seventh to put the game away with one run.

Adams said he was trying to get his closer Tyler McAllister ready before the Warriors retook the lead, but ran out of time.

McAllister closed the game strong, throwing two and two thirds of not hit ball, yielding no walks and striking out four.

But the bats couldn't put anymore runs on the board, to lose by the final margin.

The Coyotes will return to the Dawg yard on Friday to start a two-game series against Golden West with the first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. and a noon start on Saturday.

Both games will be broadcast on KWDJ 1360 AM.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

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