SAN BERNARDINO – The list of achievers ranks high for head coach
Tacy Duncan, whose Cal State San Bernardino softball team sent a message this past weekend that her Coyotes will be a force to reckon with in the chase for the 2011 California Collegiate Athletic Association race.
The Coyotes won their eighth straight game in impressive fashion Saturday, sweeping the weekend series over visiting Cal State Monterey Bay by scores of 12-8 and 7-3 at Coyote Park.
Jamie Leffingwell provided a one-out, bases-clearing double that highlighted a nine-run sixth inning in the 12-8 opener victory, and the Coyotes put five runs on the board in the first inning of the second game and went on to the sweep.
CSUSB faces Cal State Dominguez Hills in doubleheaders this weekend on Friday and Saturday. Both days begin at 11 a.m. in Carson.
Box Score: GAME 1: Coyotes 12, Otters 8
The Coyotes found themselves trailing early as CSUMB's Olds laced a three-run home run in the first inning and the Otters seemed to be in control as they led 7-3 entering the home half of the pivotal sixth inning.
CSUSB sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning and the rally began with one out.
Alex Mitchell's RBI-double scored
Alene Casillas, who pinch-ran for
Carly Land. Two batters later,
Britney Butler singled to score
Jamie Roland, who reached on a single up the middle.
Alyssa Flores followed with a two-run single that scored Mitchell and
Jacquelyn Holtzclaw and the Coyotes tied the game at 7-7.
That put Leffingwell at the plate and she came through big-time. She ripped a one-out, 3-2 fastball for a double to right center that cleared the bases and the Coyotes were delirious with a 10-7 lead.
Roland added an RBI-single later on and
Erica Prentice later scored and the Coyotes held a 12-7 lead.
Carly Land earned the victory in relief of Prentice. Land threw 3 1/3 innings and gave up just two hits with one walk.
Mitchell went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Butler was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Box Score: Game 2: Coyotes 7, Otters 3
Prentice earned the start in the final game of the four-game series and she came through for the Coyotes. The right-hander threw seven innings and scattered seven hits with a strikeout. She did have four walks, but danced her way out of trouble and was never seriously threatened.
The Coyotes scored five runs on five hits in the first for all the runs they would need against the Otters, now 2-8, 0-4. Mitchell led off the game with a double and scored on an RBI-double by Butler.
Flores added a run-scoring single that scored Butler and Leffingwell added an RBI-single that scored Flores and the Coyotes led 3-0.
Priscilla Curiel gave CSUSB a 4-0 lead when she touched home plate on
Felicia Cervantes' fielders choice. Roland's single scored Leffingwell to account for the fifth run.
Curiel's RBI-single scored Butler in the second and Mitchell scored on a wild pitch from third for the Coyotes' lone run in the fourth.
Butler had two hits for the Coyotes and scored twice. No Coyote had more than one RBI.
