Bullpen, offense lead Coyotes to series win

EDINBURG - It's only three games into the season, but the Edinburg Coyotes might be developing a couple helpful tendencies.

The Coyotes scored multiple runs in two more innings and got more dominant work from their bullpen Thursday, helping them to an 8-5 win over mistake-prone San Angelo. Those multi-run frames, already the third and fourth of the season for Edinburg, combined with a bullpen which wasn't charged with any runs over five innings of work to help the Coyotes overcome a spotty outing by starting pitcher Bric Steed, who couldn't retire one batter in the fifth.

"We're coming around. It's just the third game of the season so we've still got some work to do," said right fielder Eric Gonzalez, whose second home run of the season gave the Coyotes an 8-3 lead in the fourth. "We're hitting the ball pretty good. I'm impressed. It's early in the season."

Trailing 2-1 entering the bottom of the third, Edinburg scored three times, with left fielder Logan Wood's RBI double tying the game. The Coyotes then took the lead when a Gonzalez chopper was missed completely by San Angelo shortstop Charley Belew, one of four San Angelo errors which led to three unearned runs.

"That's just one of those games. They're pretty good defensively, it was just one of those days for those guys," Coyotes manager Vince Moore said. "When you tend to make errors and mistakes, good teams jump on you. It works the same for us, we make mistakes and good teams are going to jump on us."

Four more runs in the fourth gave Edinburg an 8-3 lead and should have guaranteed Steed his first win of the season. Instead, Steed, who allowed five runs, six hits and three walks, was relieved by Coyotes right-hander Bryan Heaston after loading the bases in the fifth. Heaston, after allowing two inherited runners to score, threw two scoreless innings for the win.

After Heaston, Coyotes relievers Luke Prihoda, Adam Clay and Julio Castro combined for three more scoreless innings, with Castro earning his first save of the season.

"That's my strength, my bullpen," Moore said of a group which hasn't been charged with a run in nine consecutive innings. "You have to have a great bullpen. Coming in, I knew we had to have a good bullpen and we showed it the last couple of nights."

FOUL TIPS: The Coyotes begin the second half of their six-game homestand at 7:05 tonight when they play host to the Amarillo Dillas.

Brian Sandalow covers the Edinburg Coyotes for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.

Thursday's United League Linescore

COYOTES 8, COLTS 5

SAA 110 120 000 - 5 9 4

EDB 013 400 00X - 8 11 0

Henschel, Fleming (4), Robinson (7), Daly (8) and Miller; Steed, Heaston (5), Prihoda (7), Clay (8), Castro (9) and Arrowood. W - Heaston (1-0). L -Henschel (0-1). Sv - Castro (1). HRs - Gonzalez (2)