Box Score
SAN BERNARDINO – Timely hitting and quality pitching are the magical tonic for successful teams. On Friday afternoon, the Coyotes received both and went on to snap their 8-game losing streak.
The Coyotes struck with multi-run innings in the first and second and held off No. 21 Cal State Monterey Bay with quality efforts on the mound in a 5-4 win over the Otters in CCAA baseball Friday afternoon at Fiscalini Field.
The Coyotes, now 12-21 overall and 6-19 CCAA, and Otters return to Fiscalini for Saturday's doubleheader that begins at 11 a.m.
Billy Hamilton had a pair of hits for the Coyotes and
Richard Mount struck with a two-run double in the first that set the tone for the Coyotes' day.
After
Aaron Beckley flew out,
Curtis Cassise and Hamilton sandwiched singles around
Remington Miller's fly out to center. That brought up Mount, who ripped a double down the left-field line that earned the Coyotes a 2-0 lead.
After CSUMB answered with a run in the second, the Coyotes followed suit with a three-run second and led 5-1.
Beckley gave the Coyotes their first run of the inning on a run-scoring triple that scored
Steven Chagolla, who reached on a fielder's choice. Beckley came around to score on Miller's single to second and Hamilton came through with a run-scoring single to left center that scored Cassise, who walked.
Ken Kissell (2-5) did a more than admirable job on the day as he gutted out 7 1/3 innings of work. He scattered 11 hits, and struck out two and all four runs were earned.
Reliever
Chris Neff came on in the eighth with one out and runners at second and third. After forcing out Ronnie Fhurong on a foul ball to the catcher, he hit Jesse Olson to load the bases, but got out of the jam and the inning with a flyout to left.
In the ninth,
Kerry Kelley worked out of a potential debacle as the Otters had runners at second and third with only one out.
The junior left-hander got a ground-out to Tommy George and ended the threat and the game when he struck out Travis Bonner for his second save of the year.
