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Eagles tame Coyotes, 17-4

By Cheeto Barrera, Sports Editor, The Daily Independent

"We’ll send Eugene Wright out there and we’ll send Nick Salas out there and we’ll go to war.”

Cerro Coso gave up 11 runs in two innings as the Coyotes fell to Mt. San Jacinto 17-4 on Thursday.
The Eagles plated six runs in the second and five more in the third and cruised from there.

Cerro Coso meanwhile, struck out 14 times and didn’t have more than one runner on base until the fifth inning, when Markus Adams and Jake Smith both walked with two outs.

It wasn’t until the eighth when the Coyotes mounted a sustained offensive drive, with most of the starters out of the game.

“I just talked to the team right here, I really thought that half our starters when we got down 11-0 they quit playing hard,” said coach Dick Adams. “I told them, you know that becomes a personal thing right there. You’re going up to hit and that’s an at bat that’s going to be with you forever, so you’re not giving your best on that?”

Jon Lewis had the only multi hit game, going 2-4 with a two run home run in the eighth. He also had an infield single to lead off the second.

In the eight, with the Coyotes losing 16-0, Kyle Mauch — who had pinch run for Smith in the fifth — led off with a single and advanced when Larry Wagner reached on the first baseman’s error.

Both were driven home on a double by Joe Keiser — pinching hitting for Franklyn Romero — , who ultimately scored on Lewis’ homer.

Meanwhile, coach Adams used nearly his entire pitching staff, sending eight hurlers to the mound, including Wagner, who normally plays the outfield.

Karl Lorentson took the loss, going two and two thirds innings, giving up 11 runs (seven earned) on nine hits and three walks. He also had two strikeouts.

Casey Peterson finished out the third then threw the fourth, giving up two runs (both earned) on three hits.

Then came Joe Zendejas for an inning, followed by Josh Orr, Derek Vey, Josh Swafford, Wagner and Kyle Wolak.

Adams was happy to have Orr return to the pen after getting hit by a ball earlier this season, knocking him out for several weeks.

He said he hopes to be able to use Orr more often, avoiding his second red shirt.

“That’s something we need, a good lefty out there,” Adams said.

Adams also credited Swafford and Vey for each throwing well, noting that Vey should have retired five batters in the top of the seventh, but the defense let him down. The first was an error at third, who eventually scored, and the second was a fly ball to right that was just missed by the fielder which went for a double.

Vey finished out the inning with a ground ball, a fly out to right and a strikeout.

Adams said the trick will now be for the Coyotes to put the game behind them and look forward to doing battle on Saturday.

“That’s the good thing about baseball. It’s not like football where you’ve got to wait seven days and play again. We get to get back out there Saturday. But San Jacinto is having a good year. This is a very physical team and they’re good. ... We’ll send Eugene Wright out there and we’ll send Nick Salas out there and we’ll go to war.”

Saturday will be a doubleheader at Mt. San Jacinto College starting at noon.

Fri Mar 20, 2009

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