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Coyotes win fourth straight, 10-2

By Cheeto Barrera, Sports Editor, The Daily Independent

DAILY INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY CHEETO BARRERA Jessie Zuber tosses a pitch against Mt. San Jacinto on Thursday. Zuber went the full nine innings as Cerro Coso went on to win 10-2.

Coming off a three game sweep over Victor Valley, the Cerro Coso baseball squad continued its winning ways with a 10-2 victory over Mt. San Jacinto.

The Coyotes have now won four in a row and improve to 9-10 in Foothill Conference play and 17-22 overall.

Jessie Zuber was shinned through out the game, with his only blemish on the day coming from a two-run homer.

Zuber went the full nine innings, giving up five hits, two runs, no walks and fanning five.

Behind him the defense was flawless, coughing up no errors on the day to allow the offense to shine.

Coach Dick Adams said he was glad to have Zuber pitching so strongly, allowing him to save his bullpen for the final six games in one week.

“We played one of the better games we have all year,” Adams said. “Jessie was on his game today and threw really well.”

To accommodate the junior college playoffs, the Foothill Conference scheduled its final games for Tuesday and a doubleheader on Thursday instead of the normal one game on Thursday and two on a Saturday.

Adams elected to use Zuber (5-5) on Thursday, to keep him strong for the conference leading Chaffey, who the Coyotes will close out the season against.

Zuber’s last outing was a five inning appearance against Victor Valley for his fourth win of the season. He was pulled early in part to get him ready for Thursday’s start and also because Cerro Coso had built up such a large lead, that Adams could afford to play his bench and give all his players time on the field. The Coyotes dominated the series, outscoring the Rams 45-15 in the three game set.

Zuber got in just one time in the game, missing his target on a 3-2 pitch that the batter smashed for a double. He followed that up by missing his target again and giving up the two-run homer.

But Zuber was able to settle down, giving up just two more hits after that and keeping Mt. San Jacinto off the base paths.

On the offensive side, the Coyotes scored their 10 runs on 16 hits and capitalizing on a handful of Mt. San Jacinto errors.

Cerro Coso broke a scoreless tie in the second inning, with a four-run rally with no outs.

Cameron White led off the inning with a single and was moved over one batter later when Kyle Hanson singled him over to second. Both runners moved a free 90 feet on a passed ball and were driven in by Fred Bellow.

Bellow was knocked in by Tyler McAllister who was later driven home by Andrew Hill.

In the third inning, the Coyotes added to their lead when Jon Proesl was driven home from third on a two-out hit by McAllister.

The fourth and seventh innings, Cerro Coso played small ball. Sayas singled in the fourth and was moved over on a sacrifice by Royal Good and scored on a Proesl base hit.

In the seventh, White reached on a walk and was sacrificed over to second by Hanson and moved to third on a hit by Bellow. White later scored thanks to a passed ball.

Bellow eventually scored when McAllister stole second and the throw went into the outfield.

Cerro Coso rounded out its scoring when Sayas advanced to second after he reached on a single and moved over on an errant pickoff throw by the pitcher. Proesl then came up with a single to bring Sayas home.

Proesl scored the final run after moving to second when Nick Parker was hit by a pitch which set up an RBI hit by Hanson.

Proesl finished the day going 3-5 with two RBIs. Bellow and McAllister each recorded two RBI days with each tallying two hits.

Sayas and McAllister rounded out the multi-hit day with Sayas recording three and McAllister knocking two with an RBI.

Cerro Coso now enters into its final week of the season, traveling to Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday for a double header.

Adams said Mt. San Jacinto cannot be taking lightly.

After having played on Tuesday in a rain makeup game, Adams said Mt. San Jacinto was tired, but should come out firing on Saturday.

Scheduled to get the not in game one will be Brett Cobbley. Game two’s starter is yet undetermined following the loss of Ryan Fisher who broke his arm in an off-the-field accident. He will miss the remainder of the season.

The Coyotes will close out the season next week, traveling to Chaffey on Tuesday then coming home for a doubleheader on Thursday starting at noon.

Friday, April 27, 2007