TURLOCK, Calif.--- The fifth ranked Cal State San Bernardino Yotes (16-2, 7-1 CCAA) took this afternoon's series finale from the Stan State Warriors 8-5 to take the series three games to one.
Mac Cabero was two-for-four with a solo home run while
Robert Valdivia had two hits as did
Flavio Perez.
The Yotes took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The four-run inning for CSUSB was capped by a two-run single by Danny Garcia. They added a run in the second on a solo home run by Daryl Ruiz to take a 5-0 lead. Takuto Kataoka's two-out run scoring single in the third gave CSUSB A 6-0 lead.
The Warriors cut the deficit in half with a three-run third inning.
Mac Cabero had a solo home run to lead off the inning.
Jacob Baker singled and
Kyle Rachels walked with no one out to put runners on first and second. Still with no outs,
Robert Valdivia was hit by a pitch to load the bases. With two outs,
Alex Solis hit a two-run single to center field to bring in Rachels and Valdivia and cut the deficit to 6-3.
CSUSB added two more insurance runs in the sixth and ninth to increase its lead to 8-3. Stan State (11-11, 4-8 CCAA) scored two runs in the ninth to cut the deficit to 8-5. Rachels had a one-out double and scored on a double by Valdivia. With two outs, Perez drove in Valdivia with a triple to center field. The Yotes' Andres Quinones induced the last Warrior batter to ground out to preserve the 8-5 CSUSB victory.
WARRIOR HITTERS: Stan State had ten hits in the series finale with three batters with two hits apiece in
Robert Valdivia,
Flavio Perez and
Mac Cabero. Rachels and Valdivia each scored twice while Solis had two runs batted in and Cabero hit his first home run of the season.
STAN STATE PITCHERS: Austin Balentine pitched 2.2 innings of relief, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out six.
Anthony Ramirez pitched four innings, giving up five hits and one unearned run while striking out two.
Noah Chelberg and
Trent Huff combined to pitch two innings, giving up one hit and a run while walking one.
Kody Cardoza (1-3) suffered the loss in the start for Stan State.
UP NEXT: Stan State will return to the diamond this weekend, March 17-19, in Carson, Calif., for a four-game series with Cal State Dominguez Hills.
