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Coyotes twice blanked to end season

By Kyle Kensing, Sports Editor, The Daily Independent

Cerro Coso closed out the season Saturday with a pair of losses to Chaffey. The Coyotes were unable to get the bats swinging in the 5-0 and 1-0 losses. Daily Independent File Photo By Kyle Kensing

The 2006 baseball season came to a “sour ending” for Cerro Coso, according to head coach Dick Adams, after his team dropped 5-0 and 1-0 decisions Saturday at Chaffey.

“We should have won two out of three from Chaffey, we should have won two out of three from Rio Hondo,” he said. “That would have made our season completely different. But, ‘could've, should've, would've.'”

The Coyotes (21-23, 15-9 Foothill Conference), though eliminated from postseason contention, would not go down without a fight in the second half of the weekend doubleheader.

Adam Garner pitched 8 2/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out three and walking just one.

Adams called it a “stellar” outing, which included 6 2/3 innings of Garner not giving up a Chaffey hit.

The Coso right hander and Chaffey's starting pitcher, lefty Brandon Villalobos, were locked in what Adams referred to as “a good old dual.”

Villalobos got the better end of that dual, however, when in the bottom of the ninth, Garner gave up his one and only run.

California's second-ranked batter, Jeremy Bamsey, doubled in Ruben Sanchez for the difference maker.

Adams said his Coyotes weren't without offensive opportunities.

“Twice we got runners to second with no outs, but we couldn't get the bunt down to move them along,” he said.

The Dawgs connected for two hits in the eighth, but could not scratch across a run.

The lack of offensive production was a blemish on what was otherwise a well-played game. Backing up Garner's performance from the mound, the Coso defense played error-free ball.

Game one played out much the same as the capper, with the CCCC bats going cold, despite a sound defensive showing.

Chaffey struck early, basically winning the seven-inning showdown in the first inning when the Panthers hit a single, double and three-run homer in succession with two outs.

The Panthers scored twice more in the fifth and sixth, doing what Adams said “we couldn't,” sacrificing along runners for the scores.

Adams said the program's focus now shifts to landing the sophomores in four-year colleges. Paul Saville gave a verbal commitment to Texas A&M Corpus Christi last week, with more players soon to sign at various other schools.

Assistant coach Paul Bassett will hit the recruiting trail.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006