By James Hernandez

After fighting their way through the loser's bracket to claim a Region 18 title at home, the College of Southern Nevada set its sights on Yuma, Arizona for the Western District Championship tournament. The winner of this double elimination tournament would punch its ticket to the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

CSN opened the tournament versus a familiar foe, the Central Arizona College Vaqueros. CAC had already dropped the Coyotes 12-0 earlier this season at "The Den" and wasted little time gaining the upper-hand in this one.

Central greeted unbeaten Ben Cutting (6-0) rudely to open up the game, roughing up the southpaw for five runs in the top of the first inning courtesy of two-RBI base knocks off the bats of Alix Garcia and Justice Nakagawa. Dillon Johnson and Jarrett Perns responded immediately in the bottom of the first, plating a pair of runs each with some clutch two-out hitting that cut the lead to 5-4.

Both starting pitchers (Ben Cutting and Grant Townsend) set their nerves aside and settled into quite a pitching groove, allowing just one run apiece over the next six frames. Clinging to a 6-5 lead entering the top of the eighth, the Vaqueros found some breathing room after catcher Chris Diehl deposited a three-run jack to left to give Central a 9-5 cushion. Following a scoreless bottom of the eighth for CSN, CAC went for the kill in the top of the ninth.

The Vaqueros sent ten batters to the plate, scoring six runs to give Central Arizona College a 15-5 tournament opening victory over the College of Southern Nevada. The loss dropped CSN into the losers' bracket where they would await the loser of the Arizona Western College Matadors and the Trinidad State Junior College Trojans Friday morning at 9:00 A.M.

They say "the early bird catches the worm" and Friday morning both CSN and TSJC were up bright and early looking to avoid elimination and live to play another game later that day versus the loser of the AWC/CAC game.

Local Shadow Ridge HS product Isaiah Balylock (8-3) took the bump with the Coyotes season hanging in the balance and responded with the best pitching performance of his collegiate career. Blaylock dominated the Trojan bats all morning, blanking the offense for nine stellar innings of shutout baseball that included seven strikeouts.

Unfortunately for CSN, the offense did not receive the early wake-up call.

The Coyotes struggled to generate consistent scoring opportunities for itself, managing just four hits and no runs off Trinidad State freshman ace Brennen Geraghty. In fact, Jarrett (JP) Perns was the only player from either side with a multi-hit game, going a perfect 3 for 3 in this scoreless pitcher's duel. TSJC went to the pen in the bottom of the ninth, bringing in reliever Donavin Buck to face the 4, 5 and 6 hitters in the Coyotes lineup.

Joey O'Brien pinch hit for Jason Wallace to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and like he has done all year, delivered in the clutch. Joey led off with a single and was advanced to second one batter later on a Blake Wiggins ground out to third base. Dillon Johnson stepped into the batter's box with one away and the game-winning run just 180 feet away. "DJ" didn't even need to take the bat off his shoulders as Buck uncorked back to back wild pitches that allowed O'Brien to score from second, allowing CSN to escape with a1-0 walk-off victory.

The win propelled the Coyotes to the 3:00 PM game Friday where they would face either the Vaqueros or the host Matadors in another win or go home contest.

The Matadors and Coyotes both found themselves in the final game of the day Friday needing a victory to keep its season alive and secure a rematch on championship Saturday with unbeaten Central Arizona College.

Southpaw Todd Danzeisen (8-1) got the start for CSN and was opposed by righty Irving Martin (8-3) for AWC. Both pitchers bent, but didn't break as they danced their way through the first three frames of the game without surrendering a run.

Dillon Johnson smoked a triple to centerfield to lead off the top of the fourth and scored the game's first run following a RBI groundout off the bat of designated hitter Cody Milner. Blake Wiggins doubled the Coyotes lead to 2-0 after ripping a double to left field that plated Justin Lutes after the CSN first baseman reached on a three base error by Mats left fielder Spencer Packard. A mishandled bunt by AWC's Irving Martin off the bat of Nicco Festa allowed the third run of the game to come home and back to back RBI singles off the bats of Jay Martz and Jordan Macias expanded CSN's lead to 5-0.

The Matadors made a late charge by plating a pair of runs in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, but were ultimately turned away when freshman Jordan Macias turned a spectacular double play to end the ninth and secure the save for Dan Skelly.

CSN held on to defeat AWC 6-4, ending the Mats season and advancing to championship Saturday where a well-rested Vaqueros team was awaiting their arrival.

Freshman Herbie Good got the starting nod Saturday versus a CAC team that had outscored CSN 27-5 in two victories this year.

After being punched in the mouth in the tournament opener versus Central, it was the Coyotes who brought the fight to the Vaqueros from the opening bell. Jordan Macias led off the game with a double that split the left centerfield gap and was quickly chased home one hitter later when Christian Maggi unleashed a double over Jake Vander Wal in right field. Clean-up hitter Blake Wiggins hit a ball back through the box to plate Maggi, giving CSN a 2-0 lead and two batters later Dillon John crushed the third double of the inning off CAC's Peyton Remy to give his team a 3-0 advantage.

Good did not surrender an earned run; however he was unable to consistently locate his secondary pitches for strikes and was relieved by former UNLV Rebel Dan Skelly with one away in the top of the fourth.

RBI sacrifice flies off the bats of Blake Wiggins and Jay Martz plated runs in the fifth and sixth innings, extending the CSN lead to 5-1.

Central rallied to cut its deficit to 7-4 with a pair of runs in the seventh and one in the eighth, but this time the Coyotes were prepared to slam the door on a CAC's comeback attempt.

The Coyotes sent 14 hitters to the plate in the top of the ninth, and when the smoke cleared they had produced eight runs on 6 hits to expand its lead to 15-4.

Central Arizona was able to plate one in the ninth but fell to Southern Nevada by an identical 15-5 score that was in their favor in Thursday's tournament opener.

The victory by the Coyotes forced a final winner-take-all finale for the 2017 Western District championship.

With "Uncle Mo" rocking Coyote Blue in the first game of the day, Southern Nevada was determined to keep him in their dugout for the remainder of the afternoon.

Blake Wiggins got the Coyotes going in the top of the first with some 2 out, 2 run yard work that plated Justin Lutes and gave CSN an early 2-0 edge.

CAC's Matt Kroon deposited a solo shot off Blake Inouye in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 2-1, but CSN answered with a pair in the top of the third when a clutch two-out base knock to right off the bat of Cody Milner extended the Coyotes lead to 4-1.

Unfortunately Inouye was unable to hold the lead for Southern Nevada as he surrendered three spot in the third inning, allowing Central to knot things up 4-4. CAC and CSN traded runs in the fifth inning to once again knot the game up 5-5 and end Inouye's day. Former Bishop Gorman Gael Alex Tisminezky entered the game with no outs in the bottom of the fourth and proceeded to go legend. "Tizzy" baffled Central Arizona's bats for five scoreless frames, allowing just one hit and fanning four Vaqueros in the process.

A clutch two-out knock off the bat of Dillon Johnson in the top of the seventh gave CSN a lead it would not relinquish. "DJ" found another RBI in the top of the ninth to give Southern Nevada some breathing room and a costly error by CAC backstop Chris Diehl allowed the Coyotes to plate their eighth run of the game.

With an 8-5 lead entering the bottom of the ninth, the College of Southern Nevada found itself just three outs away from immortality.

Tisminezky wasted little time getting the Vaqueros in order, striking out Central's Pikai Winchester for the final out of the game.

CSN defeated CAC 8-5 to punch the programs third ever ticket to the Junior College World Series and first trip of the Nick Garritano era.

Fans your Coyotes will be 1 of 10 teams participating in the 60^th edition of the Junior College World Series beginning next weekend in Grand Junction, Colorado. Be sure to keep up with all the action on our website www.csncoyotes.com or on Facebook CSNCoyotes and Twitter @CSNCoyotes.