PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Southern Nevada Coyotes (15-4) came up with three runs in the top of ninth but their rally fell short as the POWER (25-5) edged out an 8-7 victory on Sunday night.
Hayden Nielsen (BYU) paced the POWER offense going 2-for-5 with a double, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base.
Nick King set the table for Palm Springs atop the order (Georgia) adding two hits, including an RBI single in the five-run sixth.
Robert Hook (Chico State) picked up the win in relief tossing two scoreless innings after starter Mitch Bluman (San Diego State) was removed in the fifth.
The Coyotes got on the board first in the top of the second as Neil Lawhorn hit a two-out, two-RBI double to take a 2-0 lead.
The POWER got one back in the bottom half of the inning as Connor Klein (Western Nevada) singled home Turner Clouse (USC), who walked two batter prior.
They would add seven more unanswered runs over the next four frames to extend their lead to 8-2.
Southern Nevada inched a bit closer in the seventh as James Carroway singled home Nathan Hale and Quinnton Mack with two outs.
Doug Finley (CSU Pueblo) entered in the ninth to close out the victory but the outing didn’t go his way. After retiring Mack on a groundout to start the inning, he surrendered a single to Kenny Meimerstorf and three-straight walks to push across a run. Two batters later, Matt Gover singled home Dylan Ellis to put the Coyotes within a run.
That forced Manager Harry Gurley back to the bullpen as he called on ace Morgan Earman (Arizona) to close it out with with the bases loaded and only one out. He then got Hale and third-baseman David Modler to fly out to left field to preserve the victory and earn his second save of the summer.
The POWER are off tomorrow before returning to the field on Tuesday to start a two-game series with the Inland Valley Buccaneers. That game starts a stretch of nine league games in nine days for the red-and-white.
