SEASIDE (February 24, 2018) — The Coyotes earned their first win of the 2018 season with a gutty performance from senior RHP Konner Arnold and timely hitting in a 4-3 victory over No. 21 Cal State Monterey Bay in the second game of Saturday's CCAA doubleheader.
 
The Otters defeated the Coyotes 16-6 in the opener.
 
The teams complete the weekend, four-game series at 11 a.m. Sunday.
 
Game 1: Otters 16, Coyotes 6
Trailing 7-0 through six innings, the Coyotes broke through in the seventh on Alec Ceniceros' two-run homer over the right-field fence.
 
CSUMB got one back in the seventh, setting up a Coyote rally in the eighth.
 
Erick Allegro laced a double down the left-field line that scored Jason Nall (single) and Gabe Chavez (hit by pitch). After Anthony Ortega walked, Ceniceros came through again, this time on a two-run single and the Coyotes were within two of the lead, 8-6.
 
But the Otters answered back with an eight-run eighth.
 
Nall, Jake Peloquin and Jacob Allen joined Ceniceros with two hits apiece.
 
Game 2: Coyotes 4, Otters 3
Allegro went 3-for-4, and Ceniceros again came through, this time on a two-out RBI-double that became the game-winner for the Coyotes.
 
Chavez' RBI-single in the first got the Coyotes going, and Garrett Ouellette's two-out run-scoring single in the fourth gave CSUSB a 2-1 lead. Allegro delivered an RBI-single in the fifth and CSUSB led 3-1.
 
CSUMB got to within one of the lead in the sixth, setting up Ceniceros' heroics in the seventh.. Nall led off the seventh on a single to left-center, then scored on Ceniceros' double to right center.
 
Arnold retired the first two hitters of the seventh, but CSUMB did not make things easy. Max Sanderson delivered a run-scoring single and the Otters had runners at the corners. But Arnold induced Myles Hager into an infield groundout and the Coyotes had their first victory in nine games this season.
 
Arnold threw the full seven innings, striking out five, walking one and giving up 10 hits.
 
CSUMB fell to 8-1, 2-1.