By Devin Virissimo

Henderson, NV – Defeating the defending national champs the night before put the Coyotes in a great spot to win back to back games for the first time this season. 

Ben Cutting took the hill as the Coyotes took on the Cougars of South Mountain Community College in the second game of the Coyote Baseball Classic.

The Cougars took the lead early with 5 hits in the first inning, plating 3 runs in the process.

CSN could not answer in the first or second while Cutting gave up the Cougars' fourth run in the top half of the third.

In the bottom half, Nicco Festa would lead off with a single followed by a Jordan Macias walk. Then after back to back strikeouts, the hot bat of Justin Lutes drove in the Coyotes first run.

South Mountain would tack on another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly to center.

Dillon Johnson would answer the call leading off the bottom half of the fourth with a solo shot to cut the deficit to three.  

Kaid Urban would follow up Johnson with a triple and then come home on an RBI single from Festa. Christian Maggi would also collect a triple to bring Festa home and close the gap to one.

The fifth and the six would be a stalemate for both sides but the Coyotes would tie the game up in the seventh as Justin Lutes sacrificed to center, bringing home Jay Martz.

South Mountain retook the lead in the top of the ninth but the Coyotes would answer back as Blake Wiggins sacrificed to deep left bringing Martz home again.

Extra baseball would be necessary and the Cougars would not give in as they lead off with a single, then a sacrifice bunt to move him over and then another single to bring home the leadoff man for the go-ahead run.

A 6-4-3 double play would retire the Cougars and put the pressure back on the Coyotes.

With one out in the bottom of the tenth, Urban walked, followed by a single from Festa. South Mountain would head to the bullpen only to walk Jordan Macias and load the bases for Christain Maggi.

With a 1-0 count, Maggi sent a high chopper over to the second baseman who would throw it to the shortstop for the force out at second and then throw it over to first as a charging Maggi tried to beat the throw, but much to the dismay of the Coyotes the game ended in favor of the Cougars when Maggi was called out.  

The Coyotes would look to bounce back against Okanagan College in the second game of the double header.

For more info, check out csncoyotes.com.