By James Hernandez

Following a 2-2 opening weekend, CSN welcomed in the Cochise College Apaches to Lied Field at Morse Stadium for a four-game set beginning Thursday night.

Freshman Isaiah Blaylock took the ball in the series opener hoping to go a little deeper into his second start of the season after lasting just 2.1 innings in a no decision to open the season versus Yavapai College. Unfortunately for the Coyotes, Blaylock was touched up for six hits and seven runs in just 1.1 innings of work Thursday night. Cochise College sent 29 batters to the plate in the first three innings of the game, when the final out was made in the top of the third inning CSN found itself trailing 16-0. CSN centerfielder Jarrett Perns got his team on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of RBI's and freshman Joey O'Brien followed with the first RBI of his Coyote career, however it was too little too late. Cochise College would finish off CSN 17-3 Thursday night, dropping the Coyotes to 2-3 on the season.

The Apaches and Coyotes would get underway at noon Friday for the first of two seven inning games scheduled that day.

Sophomore UNLV transfer Dan Skelly took the bump in game two looking to pitch his Coyotes to their first victory of the series. The Apache bats remained red hot, scoring the first nine runs of the contest. Skelly pitched admirably, allowing just four earned runs over his five innings of work, but the dormant Coyote bats were shutout through the team's first five innings at the plate. Following five innings of lifeless play offensively, a pep talk on the mound from CSN head coach Nick Garritano invoked a fire within the Coyote offense. After loading the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning, three straight Coyotes plated RBI's, highlighted by a Blake Wiggins 3 RBI triple to center, trimmed CSN's deficit to 8-5. Despite dropping the second game of the series 9-5, CSN had offensive momentum and signs of life for the first time in the series.

Game three of the weekend featured highly touted redshirt freshman Herbie Good getting his second opportunity to toe the rubber for CSN. After lasting just one inning last Saturday evening in his Coyote debut, Good pitched from ahead all afternoon, putting his team in a position to earn the victory after allowing just two hits and striking out five over five shutout innings. The Coyotes got on the board first when outfielders Christian Maggi and Peyton Koopman combined for three RBI's in innings three through five, staking CSN to a 3-0 lead entering the top of the seventh. After recording the first out of the inning, Cochise rallied off sophomore Todd Danzeisen for a walk and a double to bring the tying run to the plate for the Apaches. Pinch hitter Alexander Marco erased six innings of shutout baseball from the Coyotes with a shot over the left centerfield wall, that knotted the game up 3-3. Instead of hanging their heads, CSN rallied to put the winning run on base (Dillon Johnson) in the bottom of the seventh and clean-up hitter Blake Wiggins did the rest. Facing a 3-0 count, coach Garritano gave Blake the green light and the slugger rewarded his coach's faith by depositing a walk-off 2-run bomb over the scoreboard in left field. The round tripper gave CSN a wild 5-3 victory over Cochise College in game three of the series.

After dropping the first two games of the weekend, the Coyotes looked to earn the series split with the Apaches by sending lefty Ben Cutting (1-0) to the mound Saturday afternoon. Cutting was his usual filthy self, striking out six batters and scattering five hits over five scoreless innings of work. CSN built an early 2-0 lead behind Blake Wiggins sixth RBI of the weekend and a Justin Lutes  RBI groundout. The Coyotes would hold a 2-1 lead heading into the top of the sixth inning, but some clutch hitting from Cochise's Alexander Marco and Max Draijer put the Apaches in front for the first time 3-2. Freshman Jordan Macias would score CSN's third run of the game with a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the eighth, however it wasn't enough. Cochise reliever James Yanchisin retired the Coyotes three up, three down in the bottom of the ninth to secure the 5-3 victory for the Apaches.

Fans our Coyotes will be back in action at home beginning Thursday night for the opening game of the 2017 CSN Coyote Classic.

For upcoming opponents and game times please log onto www.csncoyotes.com or follow us on Twitter @CSNCoyotes | Facebook CSNCoyotes.