CSN captures region baseball title in reliever’s first start

Forced to play an extra game, College of Southern Nevada went with a pitcher who hadn’t started all season, and Salt Lake Community College put a left-hander on the mound who was 0-5 with a 6.12 ERA.

It looked as if the first team to 10 runs would win.

Turned out, it was a one-sided race, with CSN getting a strong performance by right-hander Nate Bennett and a 6-for-6 performance by second baseman Tyler Brown.

The Coyotes easily beat Salt Lake, scoring seven runs in the sixth inning to take control for a 10-2 victory Saturday at Morse Stadium to win the Region 18 baseball tournament championship.

The victory ensured that CSN will host the National Junior College Athletic Association Western District tournament Thursday through Saturday. The winner advances to the World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.

“It’s huge playing on our home field and playing in front of our home fans and being able to sleep in our own beds and have our own dinners,” said center fielder Kenny Meimerstorf, who went 2-for-6 with an RBI and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. “It’s a big difference (compared to) going on the road and not having everything that we’re used to. It’s going to be a big, big advantage to us.”

CSN (44-16) and Salt Lake (38-22) will play in the district tournament, as will Yavapai (42-17) of Prescott, Ariz., and Trinidad (Colo.) State College. The Coyotes will play Trinidad (35-21) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Coyotes were forced to play an extra game Saturday after losing the first one 8-1, creating a winner-take-all finale.

“We came out way more fired up for that second game because we knew what was on the line,” Brown said. “I thought we came out a little flat the first game. Maybe we could’ve had a little more intensity. I’m not saying that we didn’t have enough to win, but I don’t think we weren’t treating it like a championship game.”

CSN put Bennett (5-1) on the mound in the rematch in his first start all season, and coach Nick Garritano said he hoped to get four or five innings out of him. Bennett did far better than that, going seven innings and giving up eight hits and two runs.

“If you would’ve told me he went seven innings today, I would’ve said no chance,” Garritano said. “It’s a credit to who he is, the type of kid that he is and the work ethic that he has. He’s just a fierce competitor.”

Bennett took the same approach he has as a reliever, warming up 10 minutes before entering and throwing the same number of pitches in the bullpen as if called upon in the fifth inning.

CSN provided Bennett with outstanding defense early when the game was still tight. Brown made a diving stop at second base for the second out of the second inning, and one batter later, left fielder Matt Waldren sprinted in and dived for a catch. Both plays occurred with runners at second and third.

Meimerstorf made a sliding catch in deep center in the fourth.

“It gives you all the confidence in the world that you can attack the zone and trust everything you have and trust (the fielders) behind you,” Bennett said.

Salt Lake didn’t provide that kind of defense for its starter, Jacob Dirkson (0-6). The Bruins committed four errors in the first four innings, helping CSN take a 3-1 lead. Then the Coyotes blew open the game with the big sixth inning.

Now they are three victories from reaching the World Series for the first time since 2010.

“We know in the back of everybody’s mind that that’s the expectation,” Brown said. “We want to go all the way. We don’t want to lose any more games.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.