Coyotes fall to Midland College in season finale

The Weatherford Coyotes came up short in their regional final against Midland College on Tuesday, 8-6. 

The Coyotes put it all on the line in a competitive back-and-forth affair that saw several lead changes. 

Weatherford College got on the board quickly in the final from the NJCAA Region V loser's bracket, with Kasen Wells and Dayton Tockey both scoring to give their team a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.  

The Coyotes added another run in the second frame, with Kanon Sundgren dropping a perfect bunt down the first baseline to score Preston Newberry. A dribbler by Uriah Walters to third advanced Kevin Duran into scoring position, but Midland College recorded the final out of the inning to leave runners stranded. 

The Chaparrals battled back in the third to slowly chip away at the deficit, and an RBI double down the third base line tied the game at 3-all. Midland College earned a walk to load the bases, and a line drive to center scored two more as the Chaparrals batted around and took a 5-3 lead. 

A line-drive out to Walters ended the second without any further damage. 

The Coyote bats got cooking to start the fifth, with Louka Daoust singling in Tockey to trim the lead to a run. Duran, after fighting off several strikes at the plate, finally hit paydirt on a bullet to shortstop. The high throw to first pulled the fielder off the bag, allowing the sophomore an RBI single that scored Daoust to knot the game at 5-5. 

The Coyotes retired the Chaparral side in the next inning, coming back to the plate for more. Walters, who reached on a walk and stole second, made it across home two batters later when Trace Mazon singled to left for the go-ahead run. 

The contest remained gridlocked until the bottom of the seventh. Up until that point, the Coyotes had retired 10 straight batters. 

With two on and one out, Midland's Brock Tijerina hit a blast over the right field wall, giving the Chaparrals the lead and the game's final score, 8-6. 

Weatherford College put a credible threat together, loading the bases with one out in the top of the eighth. Midland College would force back-to-back outs, however, to escape. 

The Chaparrals loaded the bases themselves in the bottom of the inning and were on the verge of adding at least another run, but a diving tag by catcher Sundgren off a wild pitch tagged a runner out at home, ending the inning. 

The Coyotes logged six runs off 10 hits, with Tockey, Mazon, Newberry and Duran tallying two each.  

Weatherford College ends the season with an overall record of 45-15 and as conference champions for the second straight year.