GARDNERVILLE -- Anytime two baseball teams lock up in a pitching dual, it pays off to be opportunistic.
Green Valley did just that in its Senior League (15-16 year olds) State Tournament opener against Carson Valley on Saturday night. The team from Henderson threatened twice and cashed in each time to pull out a 4-1 victory against Carson Valley in a one-hour, 40-minute battle at Lampe Park.
Both pitchers were superb in this one: Mark Martinez of Green Valley and Eli Bently of Carson Valley. Martinez pitched a three-hitter, struck out nine, walked three and retired 16 of the last 18 batters he faced to earn the win. Bently allowed nine hits, struck out three and walked none. Both had pitch counts under 70 in the seven-inning contest.
"That was a good little pitching thing," Carson Valley manager T.C. Estes said. "I thought both pitchers threw well. Eli only threw 64 pitches, which is really good, and I can really only remember one hard-hit ball he gave up all night."
Martinez spotted Carson Valley a 1-0 lead in the third inning, but escaped from a bases loaded jam with the aid of a 5-2-3 double play from Cole Cosgrove to Theron Young to Scott Strader.
"I went out to talk to Mark there in the second inning and told him it was time to take charge," Green Valley pitching coach Joe Martinez said. "We didn't come all this way to lose the first game and the kids responded well. Our defense came out ready to play."
Green Valley also turned a 6-4-3 ground ball double play to end the first inning and center fielder Brandon Reilly made a diving catch in the sixth.
Bently singled to lead off Carson Valley's second inning rally. Jesse Parra drew a full-count walk and Patrick Sergott delivered a two-strike single into left to score Bently.
Green Valley answered with three runs in the third. A third-strike passed ball opened the gates, Cosgrove and Anthony Camacho singled, Reilly bounced a two-run single into left and Martinez drove in another run on a ground ball to second base.
Green Valley added one more run in the fourth when Billy Belovin doubled off the fence in left-center and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt. Belovin hit 2-for-3 in the game.
Green Valley plays Red Rock today at 3 p.m. and Carson Valley faces Battle Mountain in an elimination game at 6 p.m.
15-16
RED ROCK 10, BATTLE MOUNTAIN 6
Red Rock scored four runs after two outs in the sixth inning to erase a 6-4 deficit and defeat Battle Mountain in the other state opener. Manny Abeyta singled with two outs to ignite the decisive rally, then Greg John singled, Dan Fromhart singled and Josh Hansen doubled.
Fromhart hit 3-for-3 and also pitched a complete game eight-hitter to earn the win. Brian Lenz and Joel Farnsworth hit 2-for-3 to lead Battle Mountain.
13-14
CARSON VALLEY 13, BATTLE MOUNTAIN 3
Ryan Pruitt and Cody Beer hit 3-for-3 to lead a 13-hit attack as Carson Valley scored at least two runs in each of its four innings before the game was called due to the 10-run rule.
Ramsey Horse pitched five innings, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five to earn the win. Horse helped his own cause as he went 2-for-3 with a double.
Dillon Brannan hit 2-for-3 to lead Battle Mountain.
PECCOLE 4, CENTRAL 3
Austin Hunt's two-run double capped a three-run sixth inning rally to give Peccole its come-from-behind victory. Chucky Howard pitched 4-2/3 innings of scoreless ball in relief to close out the game and pick up the win.
Brian Ladera hit 3-for-3 with a single in the sixth and Howard went 3-for-3 with a double. John Stack hit 2-for-3 to lead Central.
Peccole plays Carson Valley this morning at 9 a.m. and Battle Mountain plays Central at noon.
11-12
WASHOE 11, GREEN VALLEY 0
Jacob Anderson pitched a four-inning no-hitter as Washoe remained undefeated in the postseason. Washoe scored twice in the second inning to break a scoreless tie and then added nine runs in the next two innings.
Joe Wieland and Scott Underwood hit 2-for-3 to lead Washoe and Brett Hinckley 1-for-1, a double to lead off Washoe's second inning rally.
Anderson struck out seven, walked four and hit one batter as he pitched the distance for Washoe, which plays Peccole this morning at 9 a.m. and Silverada plays Green Valley at 11:30.
PECCOLE 12, SILVERADA 0
Perry Martin's three-run homer highlighted a five-run second inning that put Peccole in charge against Silverada (Dayton). Justin Truex pitched three shutout innings, struck out seven and walked one to pick up the win.
Brandon Aguilera and Michael Vincent singled to account for Silverada's two hits. Andrew Garcia hit 3-for-3 and Paul Sewald 2-for-2 for Peccole.
9-10
WASHOE 3, PECCOLE 2
Washoe scored three runs in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie and then Eric Howsley pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the sixth to preserve the win.
Luke Hooper walked, Cole Atencio singled and Taylor Bates doubled to trigger Washoe's fourth inning rally. Hooper pitched three-hit ball through five innings to earn the win with relief help from Howsley, who ended the game with the bases loaded on a ground ball to shortstop Tanner Murray.
Washoe plays Green Valley this morning at 2 p.m. and Silverada plays Peccole at 4:30.
GREEN VALLEY 11, SILVERADA 1
A six-run first inning put Green Valley on track to the victory. When Silverada came up in the bottom of the first, Ryan Tookey hit a leadoff triple and Connor Conroy walked, but Green Valley catcher Brett Harrison threw one runner out and pitcher Sam Barnes rang up back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.
Barnes allowed two hits over four innings, struck out five and walked three to pick up the win.