SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The California State University San Bernardino baseball team dropped the first game of a best-of-three series with Point Loma Nazarene University by a final score of 19-13 Friday afternoon in an NCAA West Regional game at Carroll B. Land Stadium.
With the defeat, the Coyotes will now need to win a pair of contests on Saturday against the Sea Lions to keep their season alive.
Despite a pair of Point Loma runs in the top of the first, the Coyotes offense got going in a big way in the bottom of the frame. With two outs and a 3-2 count, sophomore Keedan Nadeau (Highland, Calif.) connected on a grand slam to straightaway center field, putting CSUSB ahead 4-2.Â
A batter later, senior Jeremy Giesegh (Upland, Calif.) hit a no-doubt shot to right field, stretching CSUSB's lead to 5-2.
Point Loma tied the score with a three-spot in the top of the third inning, but the Coyotes again had an answer by plating a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Nadeau gave the Yotes a lead with an RBI groundout, before Giesegh extended the lead with a base hit up the middle, putting CSUSB up 7-5.
Point Loma took the lead for good in the top of the fourth, jumping out a 9-7 lead by scoring four runs, and added three more in the sixth to go up 12-7.
CSUSB got a couple back in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer to left, pulling CSUSB to within three at 12-9.
The Sea Lions broke the contest open in the top of the seventh by scoring seven runs to go ahead 19-9.Â
A pinch hit RBI double from junior Alejandro McKay (San Diego, Calif.) got the Coyotes up to 10 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Three more runs crossed home for CSUSB in the bottom of the eighth. Junior Derek Hurtado () had an RBI groundout, followed by a two-run single from Giesegh, but that would be as close as the Yotes would get.
The Coyotes scattered 14 hits in the defeat, led by a 3-for-5 effort from Giesegh, who also collected four runs batted in. Nadeau finished the day at 2-for-5, with two runs scored and five runs batted in.
First pitch of Saturday's game two of the three-game set is slated for 11 a.m. With a Coyote win, the Yotes and Sea Lions would play a winner-take-all game three approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two.
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