SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The California State University San Bernardino baseball team defeated Hope International University 9-2 in a non-conference contest Tuesday evening at Fiscalini Field.
With the win, the Coyotes pick up their season-best fourth win in a row and improve to 9-12 on the season.
Hope International scored the first two runs of the contest with a pair in the top of the first inning, but the Coyotes quickly claimed the lead right back in the bottom of the frame. Senior
Garret Barto (Pittsburgh, Pa.) drove in CSUSB's first run on a double to right center, before catcher
Noah Betanco (San Diego, Calif.) leveled the score with an RBI groundout. CSUSB took the lead for good on a two-out fielding error.
The Yotes posted three more runs in the bottom of the second to extend their lead to 6-2. Senior
Benji Solano (Chula Vista, Calif.) had an RBI groundout for the first Coyote run of the inning, and in the next at-bat, classmate
Jeremy Giesegh (Upland, Calif.) scored on a wild pitch. Three batters later, Betanco posted his second RBI in as many innings on a base hit to left center.
The Coyotes got another run in the third on a wild pitch, with two more in the fifth to go up 9-2. Solano recorded his second RBI groundout for CSUSB's first run of the fifth, followed by an RBI single from junior
Juni Rodriguez (Hemet, Calif.).
Neither team scored after the fifth inning, and the game ended in a 9-2 final.
Barto, Rodriguez, and redshirt junior
Derek Hurtado (Murrieta, Calif.) each recorded two hits to lead the Coyote offense, with Hurtado scoring three times.
The win was credited to starter
Jojo Duran (Fontana, Calif.), despite only throwing one inning in the start. Because the game was pre-determined by head coach
Mike Nadeau as a bullpen game, the five-inning minimum to be credited with a win was not required. Senior relievers
Conner Batzer (Ridgecrest, Calif.) and
Quinn Stewart (Fontana, Calif.) each threw two shutout innings out of the bullpen to help preserve the victory.
The Coyotes will be back in action on Friday to start a four-game set against Cal State Los Angeles. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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