ROHNERT PARK -- Junior RHP Josh Pond tied the California Collegiate Athletic Association single-season saves record and Mike Newell drove in the game-winning run in the ninth inning as visiting Cal State San Bernardino defeated No. 24 Sonoma State 3-2 in the opener of Saturday's doubleheader.

Pond faced four batters and struck out three in the ninth inning for his 16th save and tied Sonoma State's Paige Dumont (2007) and Cal State Dominguez Hills' Brian Cortes (2001) for the conference record.

The Coyotes, who lost the second game 7-3, are now 22-19 overall and 19-14 in the CCAA and in fourth place in the CCAA, one-half game behind the Seawolves (29-15, 20-14).


Click here for Game 1 box score

Click here for Game 2 box score

In the opener, the Coyotes grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Matt Winn's two-out, two-run single. Brandon Day hit a ground-rule double that pushed Erik Ornelas, who singled, to third.

Winn then lifted an 0-1 pitch from SSU's Kenny Arnerich to right for the two-run lead.

The Seawolves earned single runs in the third and fourth innings and the game remained 2-2 until the ninth.

Darren Dworak led off the ninth and reached base on an error by the second baseman. Jeff Terzo came on to pinch-run and two outs later, Newell drove an Ian Ocon delivery to left for a double and Terzo scored from first.

Coyotes reliever Josh Lee (3-0) earned the win in relief. He threw a third of an inning in the eighth and faced just one batter. Starter Cory Caruso threw five innings, gave up three hits, two runs and struck out three with two walks.

Reliever Trevor Longfellow was solid in his 2.2 innings of scoreless and hitless relief. He struck out four and faced just eight batters.

Day had two of the Coyotes' six hits.

The Coyotes led 3-2 through three innings in the second game, but SSU erupted with a four-run, fourth and went on to earn the victory.

Newell had two RBI and Chris LeFay added the other.

The two teams conclude the weekend series at 11 a.m. Sunday.