Failure in clutch ends Coyotes’ run
When the Community College of Southern Nevada looks back on its baseball season, the Coyotes will lament their inability to hit in the clutch.
For the second straight night, CCSN had a chance to tie in the game in the bottom of the ninth inning in its best-of-3 NJCAA Region 18 series against Western Nevada Community College.
As was the case Thursday, the Coyotes didn't get the key hit to pull even, and the Wildcats took the series with their second straight 6-4 win Friday at Morse Stadium.
"Anytime you don't win at the end of the season, it's disappointing," CCSN coach Tim Chambers said. "We had our chances, but that's a tough team to try and come from behind against. They outpitched us when it counted, and we have no excuses."
Trailing by two runs with two outs, a runner on first and Bryce Massanari at the plate, the Coyotes hoped to keep their season alive against reliever Stephen Sauer. But when third baseman Tom Miller speared Massanari's grounder and threw to second to nip Chase Leavitt, the Coyotes (41-81) were finished.
Western Nevada (36-22-2) advanced to next week's Western Regional tournament at a site to be determined.
Andy Jangard stepped on the mound for the Coyotes with little margin for error. But the sophomore left-hander walked the first two batters he faced, and two outs later, Miller hit a three-run homer to left field.
The Wildcats got the kind of pitching performance that CCSN needed. Justin Garcia, a sophomore right-hander from Sierra Vista High School, dominated in his 6 1/3-inning stint, allowing one run and striking out eight.
"I felt pretty comfortable with my curveball, and I got a lot of confidence after getting through that first inning," said Garcia (10-5).
Colby Shreve relieved Jangard (2-1) in the third and gave up three runs in 4 2/3 innings.
The Coyotes had a great opportunity in their first at-bat, loading the bases with one out while trailing 3-0. But Garcia struck out Easton Gust and J.C. Leach.
"That first inning was the key to the game," Western Nevada coach D.J. Whittemore said.
