Box Score

SAN BERNARDINO — If anyone had any question where the season was heading for Cal State San Bernardino, the answer may have come Thursday with a 4-3 win over No. 1 UC San Diego in the opening game of a four-game series.

The Coyotes started the year off in record fashion at 11-1 in the CCAA, but CSUSB caught the wrong end of three extra-inning games in a part of a 4-8 slump in the last 12 conference games. The win over the Tritons (28-4, 18-3 CCAA) may have turned the Coyotes fortunes around though.

Aaron Brooks went toe-to-toe with UCSD's Tim Shibuya who entered the game with a perfect 7-0 record. Brooks nearly tossed a complete game and if not for a pair of hits in the ninth, the sophomore would have finished it. Brooks went eight and two-thirds, scattering nine hits and allowing just three runs while striking out four and improved to 4-1 on the year. Andrew Schile picked up his sixth save of the year after recording the final out of the game.

After neither team scored in the first two and a half, the Coyotes broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with a trio of runs. After Shibuya retired the first eight batters, four on strikeouts, Brent Planck picked up the first base hit for the Coyotes with a single through the left side. Ethan Chapman then doubled to left to put both in scoring position before Erik Ornelas cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. Cody Madison followed that with another double down the left field line to score Ornelas and give the Coyotes a 3-0 lead.

The Tritons answered in the top of the fourth when Grant Bauman hit a solo home run to left center to make it 3-1. UCSD added two more on a single through the left side by Robert Sedin to tie it at 3-3.

The Coyotes took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh when Madison hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Planck from third. CSUSB nearly had the run taken away after Chapman was called out when he left second base too early. Originally the home plate umpire had ruled that run did not count, but after a conversation with his crew reversed the call, giving the Coyotes the winning run.

CSUSB chased Shibuya after six and a third innings and gave him his first loss of the season. Shibuya gave up four runs on eight hits.

Ornelas and Planck each went 2-for-3 with a run scored while Ornelas drove in a pair of runs. Chapman went 2-for-4 with a run scored and Madison was 1-for-2 with a two RBIs.

The two go at it again tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Fiscalini Field.