Coyotes softball drops doubleheader to Knights

Eduardo Miranda

The Daily Independent

Cerro Coso softball hosted San Diego City in a preseason doubleheader with slight wind. The Coyotes were coming off dropping a doubleheader loss to Oxnard and were looking to rebound against San Diego City. But the Coyotes trailed the Knights early and could not muster a comeback in losing both games 12-1 and 16-6.

Head Coach Domonique Hernandez spoke on his thoughts on the doubleheader loss to the Knights.

"San Diego came out ready to play," he said. "For us, we had some miscues in the early innings and that is what kind of tore us apart in the beginning. We also have to remember that I have a group of freshmen; they are still learning. As long as we learn from these games, we are going to be in good hands. That is the main thing for this team that they learn from this."

In game one, Cerro Coso gave the start to Rosaleena Trujillo who went 5.1 innings, giving up 11 runs with five earned on 10 hits. She walked three batters and struck out five. Valery Meza threw the final 0.2 innings, giving up a run on one hit.

The Coyotes' offense finished with 21 at-bats for one run and one RBI on six hits. The home team had one batter walk and one batter strike out with 13 runners left stranded. Selyna Vaughn had the team's sole RBI. Erica Madrid led the team with three hits and Kiara Rocha had two hits.

In the second game, Cerro Coso started Meza in the circle where she went 3.1 innings, giving up six runs with two earned on eight hits. She walked one batter and struck out none. Rheanna Bell relieved Meza and threw 1.2 innings for four runs on 10 hits. She walked four batters with one strikeout.

The offense finished with 26 at-bats for six runs on 10 hits with six RBIs. They had no strikeout or walk but left 11 stranded. Madrid led the team with three hits and Rocha had two hits, with both having two RBIs. Trujillo had one hit and Cassidy Nunez had two hits with each getting an RBI.

Both games had a similar start, with the Coyotes giving up seven runs in the first three innings in game one and six runs in game two. Only in the second game did the Coyotes score runs – two – in the first three innings. Those runs scored were due to errors with the home team committing eight in game one and seven in game two.

Hernandez said on his team's tough starts and errors, "we have to learn how to stay consistent during the course of it. We are playing 14 innings – that is a lot of ballgame. I would say from the get-go learning how to minimize our errors. Let's say we have one error; that's the only error we should have that inning because one error leads to another. That is the biggest thing is being mentally strong. A lot teams are ready to go from the get-go plus they have the experience. We are going to be ready for conference – these games are good to have. Have to learn how to lose as it's only up from here."

The Cerro Coso coach had nothing but praise for his opponent, saying they are a good team, well coached with sophomores who can hit, and are able to slow the game down. That is something he wants to see his young team learn for conference play.

"When it comes to us, we just need to slow down the game," Hernandez said. "And I think these games are good, especially these doubleheaders because we have doubleheaders in conference. We have to learn as a group ready from the get-go."

In game one, Cerro Coso scored its only run in the bottom of the fourth. Trujillo started the inning with a single and Vaughn hit a double to bring Trujillo home.

In game two, Cerro Coso scored two runs in the bottom of the first after the visitors scored two runs. Leadoff batter Madrid got a hit to reach first and stole first and second base with Rocha at bat. Rocha hit a triple to score Madrid. Trujillo hit a single to score Rocha and tie the game.

The Coyotes scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth beginning with Nunez reaching first. Sadie Taffolla grounded out to the pitcher but moved Nunez to second, and Diana Lopez got a hit to put runners on the corners with one out. Madrid hit a two-run triple and Rocha hit a sacrifice bunt to score Madrid. Cerro Coso cut the deficit to 9-5.

The final Coyotes run came in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff double from Annelise Keller. Trujillo and Vaughn both grounded out, but Nunez brought Keller home on a hit down the middle. Taffolla hit a fly ball to center field for the final out.

Cerro Coso is on the road for the next 12 preseason games, which includes five doubleheaders beginning with Imperial Valley on Friday and Grossmont on Saturday. The Coyotes return home to host Desert in a doubleheader on Friday, March 7, in the first round of Inland Empire Athletic Conference play.

Hernandez said about the upcoming games for his young team, "we have a doubleheader with Imperial and then the next day a doubleheader against Grossmont. These games are good because these are exactly what we are going to be playing. We just have to be ready – that is the main thing I have to say."