Box Score

By James Hernandez

Goal 1:  2016 SWAC regular season champions

After a 4-5 start to the 2016 season, the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes went 34-8 down the stretch to finish the year with a 38-13 mark on the season, which included a NJCAA national ranking of tenth in the country as well as a second consecutive SWAC regular season title.

Weather was the Coyotes biggest adversary this weekend in Carson City as Mother Nature threatened to rain all over CSN's victory celebration. The team went to Carson City a day early in hopes of getting in a game or two before the rain pelted northern Nevada.

Game one of the series between the top two teams in the SWAC began Thursday afternoon with Sage Diehm taking the ball for the Coyotes and was opposed by the Wildcats Matt Young.

Unfortunately the game was delayed in the bottom of the fifth inning with the score deadlocked 2-2 due to some heavy rain.

RBI singles in the third and fourth inning by second baseman Dillon Johnson and outfielder Jarrett Perns got the provided the runs for CSN.

WNC scored its first run of the game when DJ Peters scampered home on a wild pitch from Diehm and first baseman Daniel Nist tied the game, with a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Coyotes wasted little time regaining the lead when play resumed Friday morning.

Catcher Drew Newson doubled home Brody Westmoreland in the top of the sixth inning to give CSN a 3-2 lead and put the Coyotes on the brink of a SWAC regular season title.

Unfortunately for the Coyotes, Western Nevada rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Abe Yagi's single to center plated Bradley Lewis to tie the game 3-3. Two hitters later the Wildcats took the lead for good on a perfectly executed SAC bunt from Casey Cornwell, scoring pinch runner Brogan Secrist from third and giving Western Nevada a 4-3 lead.

Ty Fox pitched two innings of relief to earn the victory for WNC and keep the Wildcats hopes alive for a conference title. WNC defeated CSN 4-3 in game one of the series.

The second game of the series featured Mikey York who was looking to continue his streak of 26 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, as well as pitch his Coyotes to an outright SWAC title.

York was his usual masterful self, shutting down the Wildcats bats for three consecutive innings and allowing his offense to provide him with a six run cushion.

Western Nevada countered with its undefeated ace Chase Kaplan; however Chase did not have his usual pin point accuracy.

Kaplan uncorked three wild pitches in the top of the third inning leading to three unearned runs crossing the plate.

Team RBI leader  Blake Wiggins singled home his RBI number 51 of the year and right fielder Jarrett Perns brought home runs five and six with a single to right center that plated Drew Newson and Brody Westmoreland to stake the Coyotes to a 6-0 lead.

Wildcats left fielder Bradley Lewis ended Mikey's scoreless inning streak at 29 when his double down the left field line chased home DJ Peter's.

That would be the end of the day for York as Aj Jones would come in and pitch the final 3.2 innings of the game to earn the first save of his CSN career.

Jones was stellar, allowing just one earned run en route a 6-3 Coyote victory.

CSN defeated WNC 6-3 in game two of the weekend, officially clinching the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season title for the second straight year.

After officially clinching the SWAC in game two, Coach Garritano went with a "Johnny Wholestaff" approach in game three.

Future SDSU Aztec Gabe Gonzalez got the start in game three, but was relieved after throwing two scoreless innings.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when pinch hitter Justin Manness' single to right field brought home Daniel Nist.

Blake Wiggins provided the only offense of the day for the Coyotes in the top of the sixth inning, blasting a moon shot over the left field wall to tie the game 1-1.

Daniel Nist's two out bunt single up the third base line plated Cody Barkdull, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 lead. Kyle Thompson pitched a scoreless top of the seventh inning to earn the save and give Western Nevada the victory in the program's final regular season home game at John L. Harvey Field.

WNC defeated CSN 2-1 in the third and final game of the series.

Game four of the weekend was canceled due to inclement weather, no makeup date was necessary for this game.

CSN will host the 2016 Region XVIII tournament taking place May 11-14 from Morse Stadium in Henderson, Nevada.

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