SOUTH LAKE TAHOE - His team was down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on second. Trent Osmer just couldn't bare to watch another runner get stranded.
He had already seen it happen in the previous three innings. Six guys on base, four of which in scoring position, and nothing to show for it.
"I knew we could get one but I didn't expect that," Osmer said.
That was Jessie Rasner's game winning two-run homer which lifted Carson to a dramatic 3-2 win over Reno West in the Babe Ruth 13-15s Nevada State Tournament on Thursday at Todd Field.
Carson will have to beat Sparks twice today to advance to the regional tournament. The first game starts at 5 p.m. and if necessary, the second game will begin at 8. On Tuesday, Sparks blew out Carson 18-3. Carson committed more than 10 errors in the game.
"They didn't see who Carson was. We were in the double digits but we don't want to make any excuses," Osmer said. "We just want to go out there and play our game today. The kids are fired up to play Sparks because they weren't very gracious in winning the other day."
Jake Rasner, the team's ace, will get the start. Osmer said that if Carson wins the first game, his son, Wes, will start the second game.
"We got our ace Jake Rasner going and the kids are confident they can beat Sparks," Osmer said. "But they got a small, scrappy good ball club."
Against Reno West, which had won three-straight games in the losers bracket before Thursday, Carson went up 1-0 in the first after Derek Shoaf's RBI double that scored Osmer. Reno scored two runs in the fourth off John Wallace's RBI single and after Brian Hill's 6-4-3 double play eventually scored Matt McKissick.
In an otherwise superb effort, the fourth inning was probably Carson starter Dan Ford's worst inning. Ford hit two batters and gave up two hits before the double play and forcing Nick Nistler to ground out to end the inning.
"I was nervous because that's why we had him in there. He has pretty good control," Osmer said. "So I was a little scared but then we got that double play."
Ford ended up pitching all seven innings in the win. Oh yeah, it was his also first start of the season.
Wallace started for Reno but was replaced by Anthony Stewart in the seventh. Stewart, a hard-throwing righty, walked Drews to start the inning. Drew then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Jessie Rasner forced Steward all the way to a full count before his blast over the left field wall kept Carson's chances of defending its state title win alive.
"I told the kids he was overthrowing," Osmer said. "We like it when they throw gas."
Especially Jake Rasner.