Box Score
SAN BERNARDINO — For the first time since 2005 Cal State San Bernardino will be heading to the postseason after the Coyotes synched up a spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament with a 9-2 over San Francisco State.
Now it becomes a battle of positioning and the Coyotes (25-13, 24-12 CCAA) are sitting in third place just ahead of Chico State. It was also the third CCAA series sweep of the year for CSUSB.
The fourth and final game of the series was shaping out to be much like Saturday's nightcap after San Francisco State took a 1-0 lead in the first and Ryan Williams hit a leadoff home run in the sixth to put the Gators up 2-0. SFSU starter Nic Banaugh had held the Coyotes to just three hits in the first five innings before CSUSB's offense picked up the pace.
Andrew Harrison tied the game in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single up the middle to score
Cody Madison and
Bryant Veiga from second and third.
James Kono continued his hot streak against SFSU with a triple to right to score Harrison and give CSUSB its first lead at 3-2.
Brent Planck then laid down a perfect sacrifice squeeze to give the Coyotes a 4-2 advantage.
CSUSB poured it on from there. The Coyotes added four more in the seventh to lead 8-2. Three of those runs came off a home run by Harrison who finished the day 2-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. The final run came on a leadoff home run by
Brent Planck, his first of the year, in the bottom of the eighth.
Trevor Longfellow (4-3) picked up the win after allowing just two runs while scattering eight hits in eight innings of work.
Andrew Schile tossed the last inning, allowing just one hit.
Planck went 2-for-2 on the day with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Kono was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Kono hit .533 with 11 RBIs, three home runs, two doubles, a triple and seven runs scored in the series.
The Coyotes now prepare for the final CCAA series of the year when they host Cal State East Bay Friday-Sunday. Friday's game is set for 3 p.m., Saturday is a noon doubleheader and Sunday is scheduled for noon and will be CSUSB's senior day.
