SAN BERNARDINO - The CSUSB Baseball team continued its four-game set today against the Chico State Wildcats with a doubleheader, which resulted in a split. Chico won 8-5 in game one, while San Bernardino won 10-7 in game two.
Austyn Coleman earned the start for San Bernardino in the first game. Facing a Chico State team whose offense is the best in the CCAA and among the best in the country, he allowed five earned runs, eight hits, two walks, and struck out four Wildcats over five innings. Coleman has a 4-3 record and a 3.66 ERA for the season despite the loss. The Wildcats put up 16 hits in game one, the 12th time this season with at least 16 hits. On the offensive side, for CSUSB, the Yotes scored the game's first runs with a two-run homer in the first by second baseman Deshawn Johnson and were leading until a three-run homer in the fifth by Grady Morgan which gave Chico State the lead that they never relinquished. A two-run homer in the ninth by Kyle Csakan cut an 8-3 Wildcats lead to three runs. Chico State won game one, 8-5.
Andres Quinones was starting pitcher for the Yotes in the second game. After Daryl Ruiz produced an RBI single and Gio Del Negro reached on an error, scoring Deshawn Johnson, Kyle Csakan hit a two-run home run to give San Bernardino the lead for good. He added another home run in the third, bringing his total on the year to 16, which leads the CCAA. His .856 slugging percentage, the number of total bases divided by at-bats, is also off the charts.
Quinones went six innings and, despite giving up 12 hits, allowed only five runs, three of which were earned. He walked only one batter and struck out three in the win. Oscar Rauda came in and finished the game and was able to get out of a jam, as Chico had the bases loaded at the end of the game. Quinones is now 3-4 with a 4.40 ERA for the season, and CSUSB is now 20-17 and 16-11 in CCAA play.
"It was a great split for us today" said coach Mike Nadeau. "Chico is a very good team. Coleman and Quinones pitch good today and kept us in the games. Kyle Csakan is having a terrific year. I have not seen that type of power in a long time."
CSUSB is scheduled to play their next game on Saturday, April 16th with first pitch at 11 a.m. at Fiscalini Field as they close the series against Chico State. Streaming is available on the ccaanetwork.com.
