Coyotes win game one of postseason regional series

The Weatherford College baseball team won a back-and-forth battle with El Paso Community College, 12-6, on Wednesday at Roger Williams Ballpark, taking the first game of a best-of-three postseason regional series. 

The Coyotes (45-11) and the Tejanos (39-19) will play again Friday at 1 p.m. at Williams Ballpark. If WC wins, the series is over. If El Paso wins, that will force a deciding game three Saturday, also at 1 p.m. The winner of the series advances to a four-team super regional next week at a location to be determined. 

The game was tied 2-2 until the bottom of the sixth inning when WC's Mason Ashlock hit a three-run home run over the left field fence, giving the Coyotes a 5-2 lead. Ashlock finished the game 2-for-3 with four RBI. 

But El Paso wasn't going away. The Tejanos scored four runs in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead.  

WC broke the game open with six runs in the seventh inning. El Paso's starter hit Caden Mitchell with the bases loaded and then walked in another run. Cayden Byrd then tripled on a fly ball to center field, scoring three more. 

Noah Bentley earned the win in relief, allowing one hit in two and two-thirds innings, with one walk and three strikeouts.