CSN holds on to defeat Cochise, pounds Yavapai
January 30, 2012
By Dan Cabrera of College of Southern Nevada
College of Southern Nevada shortstop Cory Welch narrowly misses a throw from the catcher on an attempted steal by Cochise College right-fielder A.J. Acosta on Friday at Morse Stadium. CSN won the game, 13-12.
HENDERSON, Nev -- The College of Southern Nevada baseball team opened up their 2012 season with a wild offensive slugout, holding on for a 13-12 victory over Cochise College (Ariz.) on Friday in the Coyote Border Battle at Morse Stadium.
CSN (2-0) went on to roll past Yavapai College (Ariz.) 12-2 in the nightcap.
Cochise opened up the scoring with a four-run first inning, led by a two-run single by Corey Fujimoto. CSN swiftly answered back with five runs in the bottom of the inning before the Apaches tied it back up in the second.
Cochise tied the game at 9-9 with two runs in the seventh, then CSN answered with a four-run eighth inning to take their largest lead of the game, 13-9, into the ninth.
Closer Billy Richardson struggled to find a rhythm, and Cory Welch came in to save the day and tag out the tying run at home plate on the final play of the game to preserve the win.
Welch was 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs scored to lead the Coyotes. Morgan Stotts went 3-for-6 with a triple and two RBIs, and Jordan Van Hoosier was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three walks.
Fujimoto finished 4-for-6 with 4 RBIs to lead the Apaches (0-2), who also lost to Salt Lake Community College on Friday, 8-1.
Against Yavapai, CSN scored a five-spot in the first inning for the second consecutive game and never looked back.
Stotts was the key in that five-run first inning, blasting a three-run double down the left field line. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Van Hoosier was 3-for-3 with three runs scored, and Dan Jaffe had a three-run double that capped a five-run fourth inning that put the Coyotes in position to end the game early on the run rule.
Joey Lauria (1-0) earned the complete-game victory, striking out six while allowing two runs on four hits.
CSN returns to action on Saturday against Yavapai at 2 p.m., followed by a date with Arizona Western at 6 p.m. Both games are at Morse Stadium on the CSN Henderson Campus.
