SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino baseball team fell 8–6 to Cal Poly Pomona Friday afternoon in the opening game of CCAA play at Fiscalini Field.
With the defeat, the Coyotes drop to 4-8 overall and 0-1 in the CCAA.
The Broncos got on the board first in the top of the first inning with a pair of unearned runs, but CSUSB got one back in the bottom of the inning when Tyson Pettingill (Overton, Nev.) singled up the middle to drive in Jeremy Giesegh (Upland, Calif.), cutting into the early deficit.
Cal Poly Pomona broke the contest open with five innings in the top of the third to take a 7-1 lead.
The Coyotes responded again in the bottom of the frame. Eddie Alfaro (Moreno Valley, Calif.) delivered an RBI single to center field that scored Benji Solano (Chula Vista, Calif.), and Pettingill followed later in the frame with another RBI single to bring home Giesegh.
After a single CPP run in the top of the fourth, CSUSB continued to chip away in the bottom of the fourth when Keedan Nadeau (Highland, Calif.) came around to score after Solano singled to right field and the ball was misplayed, trimming the deficit.
The Coyotes pulled within two runs in the fifth inning when Greg Luna (Moreno Valley, Calif.) delivered a two-run double to right field, scoring Pettingill (Overton, Nev.) and Alfaro (Moreno Valley, Calif.) to make it 8–6.
CSUSB continued to pressure late in the game, putting runners on base in several innings. In the ninth, Pettingill singled to keep the Coyotes alive and put the tying run aboard, but CSUSB was unable to complete the comeback.
Pettingill led the Coyotes offensively with a perfect 5-for-5 performance and two RBIs, while Luna drove in two runs with his double. Alfaro also added an RBI for CSUSB.
Senior Harrison Cordeiro (Chicago, Ill.) was charged with the loss for the Coyotes. Classmate Jesse Alfaro (Moreno Valley, Calif.) was a bright spot for the Yotes in relief, throwing four shutout innings, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.
CSUSB and Cal Poly Pomona will continue the CCAA series with a pair on Saturday at Fiscalini Field.
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