Coyotes' defense costly in DH sweep by No. 17 CSI
February 9, 2012
By Dan Cabrera of College of Southern Nevada
College of Southern Nevada pitcher Lianna Bajarin fields a bunt and throws out College of Southern Idaho outfielder Tyler Wilkinson at first base on Wednesday at The Canyons Complex in St. George, Utah. No. 17 CSI swept CSN, 6-2 and 14-8.
ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Following a rough 1-4 showing last weekend at the Great Western Shootout in Yuma, Ariz., the College of Southern Nevada softball team needed to turn the page and start fresh as they entered Scenic West Athletic Conference play this week.
Instead, the Coyotes looked and played the same on Wednesday, as their struggles on defense and pitching led to a doubleheader sweep by 17th-ranked College of Southern Idaho, 6-2 and 14-8 at Canyons Softball Complex.
The Golden Eagles (10-5, 2-0 SWAC) jumped on CSN pitching early in both games, never allowing the Coyotes to have a lead. CSI's first two batters produced their first run, then they added another in the third inning thanks to a pair of Coyote errors to take a 2-0 lead.
The Coyotes (5-9, 0-2) answered with a solo home run by Alicia Firelein to cut the Eagles' lead in half, but that would be as close as CSN would get. CSI pushed across four runs in the fourth inning to take a commanding 6-1 lead.
The Coyotes scored their second run on an RBI double by Firelein in the fifth inning that scored Brigit Godfrey.
In the second game, the Eagles' 15-hit pounding started off with CSI jumping out to an early 2-0 lead on a two-run homer by Lea Hopson.
CSI went on to score in each of the first four innings, taking an 8-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth. That's when CSN finally was able to figure out CSI pitcher Nellie Makings, pushing across three runs in the fourth to chase her out of the game. The Coyotes had a chance to make it an even bigger inning by loading the bases for Firelein, but she struck out to end the threat.
The Eagles reclaimed their eight-run lead in the sixth on a three-run home run by Chelsea Buttars that made it 11-3, but the Coyotes didn't allow CSI to mercy rule them and kept fighting back. Firelein's second homer of the day was a two-out, three-run shot to dead center field that put CSN back within five.
After that, the game became more of an offensive clinic, as the Eagles again added three runs in the seventh. The Coyotes added two more runs for the final margin.
Firelein finished a combined 4-for-8 with a double, home run and five RBIs to lead CSN. Jasmine Fukuda was a combined 4-for-9 with one RBI.
The Coyotes finish up their series with CSI on Thursday, with a doubleheader set to begin at noon.
