Coyotes Take First Game of Weekend Baseball Series Against Toros, 10-5
CSUSB rallies scoring six late runs to come from behind in CCAA game
February 27, 2004

Complete Box Score

CARSON, Calif.--Cal State San Bernardino came back from a 5-4 deficit and scored six runs in the final three innings to take the first game of a four-game California Collegiate Athletic Association series, 10-5, over Cal State Dominguez Hills Friday afternoon at Toro Field.

The win improves the Coyotes to 7-6 and 3-4 in league play while the loss drops CSUDH to 5-13 and 1-8.

CS San Bernardino went up early scoring three runs in the first three innings off an RBI singles from RF Daron Roberts and DH Dorian Dixon, a solo homerun from 1B Mark Mancha and a run-scoring double off the bat of LF Michael Reh.

But the Toros cut the lead in half in the third when 1B Daniel Pilimai (Sacramento/Rocklin HS) launched his team-leading fourth homerun of the season, a two-run shot deep over the left-center field wall, making it 4-2.

CSUDH plated another run in the fourth on a two-out RBI single from CF Jason Flores (Whittier/St. Paul HS) scoring C Efren Esparza (Compton/Dominguez HS) from second base who reached earlier after being hit by a pitch.

Cal State Dominguez Hills took a 5-4 lead in the fifth with two unearned runs. With runners on the corners, Coyote pitcher Casey Mutter faked a pickoff attempt to third and caught DH Jose Montes (Pacoima/San Fernando HS) running to second. Mutter sailed the ball to center field allowing Pilimai to score the tying run and advancing Montes to third. Montes then scored on a foul fly ball down the left field line for the 5-4 lead.

With two outs and two on in the top of the seventh, pinch-hitter Travis Tarnow hit a 3-run blast over the right-center field wall to give the visitors a 7-5 lead. The Coyotes tacked on three more in the eighth, again with two outs, on a bases-clearing triple by SS Jake Puckett for the final 10-5 margin.

Reh, 3B Aaron Rice and Dixon led CS San Bernardino with two hits apiece. Puckett and Tarnow finished the afternoon with three RBI. Michael Boes (1-1) pitched the final three innings to earn his first win of the season. Boes allowed only two hits while striking out two.

RF Zac Cort (El Cerrito/El Cerrito HS) and Flores led CSUDH with three hits each. Relief pitcher Roberto Esparza suffered the loss tossing four innings and giving up six runs, all earned, on four hits and three walks.

The Toros and Coyotes resume the series tomorrow in San Bernardino with a twinbill scheduled for noon.