SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Despite giving up just one earned run on three hits, San Francisco State dropped a tough 3-2 decision to Cal State San Bernardino in the second game of a California Collegiate Athletic Association doubleheader on Saturday at Fiscalini Field. Earlier in the day, the Gators suffered a 14-3 defeat in the opener as the Coyotes broke open a tight 4-3 score with six runs in the fifth inning to pull away for the victory.
With the sweep, SF State falls to 19-26 on the season and 12-19 in league play, while the Coyotes, who have won seven out of their last eight outings, improve to a 24-13 overall and 23-12 in the CCAA.
In the nightcap, Erik Ornelas led off the eighth inning with a solo home run for the game winner, saddling Gator starter Pat Haugen (Cayucos, Calif., Cuesta College) (7-3) will the hard luck loss. Prior to the deciding blast, Haugen allowed two unearned runs on two hits and two walks, while striking out five in seven innings. Conversely, Lucas Sanford (4-0) earned the victory after tossing one scoreless inning in relief of starter Daniel Stenavich, who went seven innings as well, yielding two runs on seven hits.
SF State went ahead 1-0 in the top of the second when Greg Kline (Las Vegas, Nev., San Joaquin Delta College) drove in Ryan Williams (Woodland, Calif., Yuba College) with his fifth double year of the year. Williams led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on Nick Bowerman's (Oakley, Calif., Mount Mercy College) sacrifice bunt.
Later in the top of the sixth, Bowerman gave the visitors a 2-0 edge with a sacrifice fly to left, plating Kevin Dultz (Altadena, Calif., Glendale CC), whose grounder through the left side found daylight and moved to third shortly thereafter on another single.
The lead soon evaporated, however, as CSUSB knotted the score in the bottom of the frame with two unearned runs. Darren Dworak drew and lead-off walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Luke Mullinax, who moved over to third when Ethan Chapman got aboard on a Gator error and ended up on second. A wild pitch brought in Mullinax, while Chapman touched the plate moments later on Ornelas' RBI single.
SF State put a runner aboard in the top of the eighth as Williams walked with two outs, but was soon erased on a fielder's choice groundout, setting the stage for Ornelas' heroics.
In game one, CSUSB jumped out to 3-0 advantage on Bryant Veiga's RBI single in the bottom of the first and a pair of sacrifice flies by Cody Madison and Veiga in the third.
The Gators took advantage of two Coyote errors in the top of the fourth, tallying three unearned runs to tie the game at 3-3. With two outs, Nick Nyman (Susanville, Calif., Lassen College) reached on an error by CSUSB shortstop James Kono and advanced to second, scoring Williams and Kline, who previously singled and doubled, respectively. Moments later, Nyman stole third and came home on a throwing error by the catcher Madison.
The Coyotes went ahead to stay in the bottom of the stanza, however, when Julio Torres singled in Kono with the go-ahead run.
CSUSB then erupted for six markers in the fifth to put the game out of reach, highlighted by Kono's three-run blast sandwiched around Leland Sisco's RBI single and Torres' solo round-tripper.
Leading 11-3, the Coyotes tacked on three additional scores in the eighth when Kono, who finished with seven RBI, launched his second three-run homer of the contest to account for the final outcome.
CSUSB starter Brandon Cunniff (6-2) went eight innings for the win, allowing three unearned runs on five hits and one walk, while Ryan DeJesus (Westlake Village, Calif., Westlake HS) (2-3) took the loss for SF State after ceding seven runs (five earned) on eight hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings of work.
The Gators will close out their four-game road series against the Coyotes on Sunday with a single contest beginning at 11 a.m.
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
