By Kaila Morales |Staff Writer|
CSUSB’s baseball team was swept in a four-game series against the nationally ranked Cal Poly Pomona Broncos.
This weekend’s performance, which was up against California Collegiate Athletic Association’s (CCAA) first place team in the South Division, was a tough matchup that did not displayed the Coyote’s abilities.
The CCAA series opener took place on April 29 at Fiscalini Field, where left-handed pitcher Don Sullivan got the start.
Sullivan threw a total of 102 pitches over eight innings, allowing four hits, all singles, no walks and six strikeouts.
The Coyotes made their first attempt to score in the third with the bases loaded and only one out, but fell short with a ground-out at the plate and a fly out to center field.
The next attempt started with infielder William Ouellette leading off in the sixth.
Ouellette knocked out a double to right field, then was advanced into scoring position by outfielder Ryan Rich with a sacrifice bunt.
A strikeout by infielder Dylan Lohman and a fly out by infielder Brian Lockey could not bring Ouellette into score.
Relief pitcher Austin Casillas allowed the Broncos to load the bases on an error and gave up two sacrifice flies, giving the Broncos a 2-0 win in the series opener.
Right-handed ace Tyler Wells got the start for the second game of the four-game series, which continued at Fiscalini Field, on April 30.
“This is a game that I really wanted. They have been a big rival, unfortunately I didn’t mentally prepare myself right, I was out there throwing rather than pitching,” said Wells.
Wells threw just four innings, giving up six runs off of eight hits, allowing four walks and two strikeouts.
“The one thing that I could’ve and should’ve done was execute my pitches. They can hit really well, but there is no doubt in my mind that we couldn’t beat them,” added Wells.
CSUSB got things going in the fourth, scoring three runs on no hits, after being down 6-1.
Catcher Ryan Cooper carried the Coyotes, putting up a solo homer, which accounted for one of the three RBIs he received.
It wasn’t enough as the Broncos snatched three three-run homers, handing a 12-6 loss to the Coyotes.
“It hurts losing. Of course personal accolades are cool, but I’d take a win over a great individual performance any day,” said Cooper.
“I’m just a single piece of the puzzle, there were guys who hit balls harder than I did that just didn’t happen to find holes,” added Cooper.
In their final matchup, the Coyotes faced the Broncos in a doubleheader at Scolinos Field, the home of the Broncos.
Game one was a shutout for Cal Poly’s pitcher Max Bethel, who dealt out five no-hit innings against the Coyotes.
Cooper led off in the fifth inning, reaching on an error, as right fielder David Romo followed with a single up the middle, putting an end to Bethel’s no-hit game.
Romo finished with two hits and Lohman delivered another, but it wasn’t enough to get the Coyotes on the board.
CSUSB grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two.
Ouellette led off the game with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by infielder Jordan Simon.
Reaching third on a ground-out groundout by Lockey, Ouellette scored off of Cooper’s single to shortstop.
CSUSB loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth but was not able to execute any runs off the opportunity.
Cal Poly Pomona beat the Coyotes 7-1 to end the four-game series.
The Coyotes remain in third place in the CCAA South, with hopes that they can secure a spot in the CCAA championship tournament.
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