Box Score

By James Hernandez

Yuma, AZ -Following an epic run to a Region 18 crown last weekend, the College of Southern Nevada set its sights on a familiar foe in the 2017 Western District tournament opener, the Central Arizona College Vaqueros.

CAC handled CSN 12-0 earlier this season at Morse stadium, but this was not the same Coyote club that limped out to a 4-7 record to begin its 2017 campaign. On paper the game had all the makings of an old fashioned pitchers duel, as undefeated CSN southpaw Ben Cutting (6-0) went head to head with Vaqueros wins leader Grant Townsend (10-2). Unfortunately for both starters, the combination of some opening game jitters and composite bats led to fireworks in the games opening frame.

Central sent ten batters to the plate in the top of the first, plating a five spot courtesy of 2-RBI base knocks off the bats of Alix Garcia and Justice Nakagawa. The Coyotes took a standing eight count in the top of the first, but responded with the heart and resolve of a champion.

They say two-out hits get you to baseball heaven, and if that's true than sophomores Dillon Johnson and Jarrett Perns are "knocking on heavens door."

Johnson barreled up a two-out double that cut CSN's deficit to 5-2 and Perns immediately followed with his own two RBI knock back up the box to get the Coyotes within a run at 5-4.

Both aces settled in to toss five scoreless frames over the next six innings, allowing just a single run apiece in the fourth.

Cutting came out for the top of the eighth inning but was relieved by freshman Alex Tisminezky after allowing back to back singles to Ty Johnson and Jake Vander Wal. Chris Diehl barreled up a 1-1 mistake from Alex and deposited it over the left field wall, extending Central's lead to 9-5.

A stunned pack of Coyotes went down in order in the eighth, and with blood in the water the Vaqueros went for the jugular in the ninth.

Chris Diehl all but cemented his status as offensive player of the game, collecting RBI's number four and five in a six run top of the ninth that extended Central's lead to ten.

Sati Santa Cruz closed out CSN in the ninth to secure a 15-5 victory for the Vaqueros.

The loss drops the College of Southern Nevada to the losers bracket of the Western District tournament, forcing the Coyotes to have to win four games in two days to advance to the junior college World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado.

CSN will be back in action Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. in a win or go home battle with the Trinidad State Trojans.