Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

By James Hernandez 

The final home series of the 2016 season for the Coyotes was highlighted by First Responders Day on Friday at Morse stadium.

A.J. Jones took the ball for CSN looking to get his team back on track after a 1-2 weekend in Salt Lake City, in which Jones was the only Coyote pitcher to earn a victory.

A.J. wasn't his usual razor sharp self, but his bulldog mentality on the mound allowed him to grind through 4.1 innings (5 H, 3 ER, 2K's) and keep his team in the game. Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning Jarrett Perns came up with arguably his biggest hit of the season. Perns took CSI starter Tyler Rosas deep for a three-run bomb over the left field wall that plated Keiser and Martz to knot the game up a 4 apiece.

CSI would score five of the games next six runs to take a seemingly comfortable 9-5 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, needing just three outs to secure the victory.

The first three batters of the inning reached via the free pass, with the bases loaded and one out Brody Westmoreland tattooed a ball into the left centerfield to score a pair, cutting the Coyotes deficit to 9-7. The Golden Eagles went to the pen, but pitcher Jeremy Speth was unable to provide CSI any relief. Speth uncorked a wild pitch that scored Wiggins from third followed by three consecutive walks, highlighted by Martz's bases loaded walk to tie the game 9-9.

2015 SWAC reliever of the year Alec Hutt came into the game and pitched two shutout innings of relief, striking out four of the seven batters he faced. Hutt's ability to bridge the gap from the seventh to the ninth inning set the stage for a dramatic bottom of the ninth inning rally for CSN.

First baseman Brody Westmoreland was able to reach second thanks to a two base error by the CSI shortstop,  two batters later Jay Martz clutched up when he hit a shot back up the box for a game winning RBI single. The single was Jay's third of the game and it allowed the Coyotes to snatch a 10-9 extra innings victory from the jaws of defeat.

Game two of the weekend featured future SDSU Aztec Gabe Gonzalez looking to reduce CSN's magic number as the team continues its quest for back to back SWAC regular season titles. With the exception of a third inning hiccup Gonzalez was absolutely lights out! Gabe struck out a season high seven hitters, allowing just four hits and two runs over his five innings of work. Offensively the Coyotes were sharp all game long, scoring at least one run in four of the teams six offensive plate appearances.

Team RBI leader Blake Wiggins and first baseman Brody Westmoreland were responsible for six of the teams seven runs batted in, highlighted by Westmoreland's 3-run moon shot to dead centerfield.

Lefty sage Diehm came out of the CSN pen and tossed two stellar innings of relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three Golden Eagles. CSN defeated CSI 9-2 in game two of the weekend, Gonzalez improved his record to 5-1.

Games three and four of the series were cancelled on Saturday afternoon due to inclement weather and will not be made up.

CSN will head to Carson City for the final weekend of SWAC play needing just one victory to secure a second straight Scenic West Athletic Conference crown as well as earn the right to host the 2016 Region 18 tournament.

For more information please log onto www.csncoyotes.com or follow us on Twitter at @CSNCoyotes.