Box Score
SAN BERNARDINO — Leland Sisco, Erik Ornelas, and Bryant Veiga each hit three-run home runs to power Cal State San Bernardino to a 12-9 victory over Cal State Los Angeles. The win ties the best start in CCAA history with the 1997 team that went 9-1.
Veiga got it started in the second inning for the Coyotes (9-2, 9-1 CCAA) with a lead-off single through the right side. Cody Madison ripped a double down the third base line, moving Veiga to third. Sisco got his first of four RBIs when Veiga tagged up and came home on Sisco's sacrifice fly to right field. Chris LeFay singled, scoring Madison who had taken third on Sisco's sac fly as the Coyotes led 2-0.
The Eagles answered in the third with three straight hits against pitcher Brandon Cunniff. Joe Park singled up the middle, Matt Miraldi doubled, and Jesus Campos singled to score Park. With runners at the corners, clean up hitter Sam Wiley knocked an RBI single past diving first baseman Sisco to tie the game at 2-2. The Eagles had a chance to take the lead, but Sisco gunned down Campos at home when he tried to score on a slow ground ball.
The Coyotes rallied for four runs in the fourth. Ethan Chapman led off with a double to the gap in right. Ornelas singled and Matt Winn drove Chapman home with a hit up the middle. With two men on, Sisco added to his RBI total with a three run homer, giving the Coyotes a 6-2 lead.
CSULA cut it 6-3 on a Miraldi single that scored park and in the sixth, Mark Sunga delivered a pinch-hit home run that made it 6-4.
The Coyotes looked to have completely put it away with two three-run home runs, one in the bottom of the sixth by Ornelas and another in the eighth by Veiga, extending their lead to 12-4.
The Eagles weren't through though. They made the Coyote faithful in attendance sweat a little in the ninth inning by sending nine men to the plate and putting up five runs to pull within three before Andrew Schile came in to slam the door on the Eagles, earning his team-high fourth save of the season.
Cunniff got the win for the Coyotes, running his record to 2-0, while Eagles pitcher Anthony Lopez took the loss, dropping his record to 1-2. Cunniff pitched a strong seven innings, giving up four runs on eight hits while striking out six.
The two will close out the series Sunday with an 11 a.m. doubleheader. The game was moved from Saturday becuase of anticipated rains.
