The Skyline Coyotes came into the game knowing that they had a tough matchup against the Sandra Day O’Connor Eagles. It took confidence, determination and strong play for Skyline to win 13-11.

 

Coyotes head coach Pat Herrera knew the challenges going into the game and how tough it would be to edge out a win against the Eagles.

 

“We knew they were a tough team,” Herrera said. “We had to be who we are which is being scrappy and throwing strikes and that was our goal. (The players])work hard in practice and buy in to what we’re doing.”\

 

In the first inning, the Eagles fired on all cylinders. They loaded the bases, and shortly after, seniors Zak Elms and Tristan DeJesus combined for four RBIs, putting the Eagles up 5-0 at the end of the first.
 

In the bottom of the second, Eagles junior Noah Burgarello hit a solo homer, putting the Eagles up 6-0. It wasn’t until the third inning when the Coyotes started to find their rhythm.

 

After a walk scored a run, senior Cole Yocum had a nice hit that drove in two. He later scored, making it 6-4 for Skyline.

 

Yocum believed that that was the turning point in the game and that he and his teammates had the confidence that they could win this game.

 

“We were down six, we came back and scored four,” Yocum said. “Coach told us we had to score two and we scored four. My teammates and I all love each other and we all have the best confidence in each other in the world.”

 

Later on in the top of the fourth inning, Yocum had three more RBIs, hitting a dinger straight to center field to put the Coyotes up 7-6. Once it was time for the Coyotes to take the field, they were up 8-6 on the Eagles.

 

The lead did not last long, though. Burgarello tacked on two RBIs, tying the game back up at 8 apiece. Right before the inning ended, senior Nolan Gorman ripped the ball right into center field, earning an RBI and giving the Eagles a 9-8 lead.

 

Once the sixth inning came around, that was when the Coyotes went for the knockout blow. It started off with junior A.J. Herrera making it 9-9 with a double. Later it was 11-9 for Skyline.

 

The Coyotes were not done there though, still in the sixth inning, senior J.J. Rollon hit a grounder that made its way all the way out to center field. That grounder was enough to drive in another two Coyotes, expanding their lead to four at 13-9.

 

“Everybody on our offense was unselfish,”  A.J. Herrera said. “No one was trying to be the hero, everybody just gave into the next guy base hit after base hit. We were really just showing how tough we were. Having the confidence in my teammates gives me my confidence because I know they’re going to come in and play for me and that’s why I love this team.”

 

In the bottom of the sixth, Gorman hit in another batter, cutting the league down to three making it 13-10.

 

As crunch time emerged for the Eagles, it was the bottom of the seventh and the bases were loaded. Gorman was up to bat and Coach Herrera of the Coyotes knew how special of a player he was to the Eagles. He came up with the strategy to walk Gorman  and another batter tcame  home, making it 13-11.

 

The strategy turned out to work as the Coyotes held the Eagles and won the game with a final pop fly that passed the foul line and was caught by a Coyote outfielder. The final was 13-11.

 

Eagles head coach Jeff Baumgartner admired the Coyotes' heart and determination to come back from an early deficit and pull off the win against his team.

 

“That team is scrappy,” Baumgartner said. “They’re going to overachieve their talent level and they just have a fight in them that we don’t have. We have an abundance of talent and we don’t have the fight to match it. They have minimal talent and they have the fight to overachieve it because they work so hard and they play the game the right way.”