Reno sweeps Carson softball

RENO - When Reno's Hailey Corthell hit a homer on the third pitch of the first game of Friday's doubleheader, you just knew the Carson Senators were in for a long day.

The Senators, who had already clinched a playoff spot, lost 11-1 and 12-2 to the Huskies, who finished the Sierra League with a perfect 21-0 record. Both games were stopped because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Carson managed just six hits the entire day and made 10 errors. Those two stats alone were enough to spell disaster for the Scott Vickrey's club.

"We struggled from the circle, on the field and at the plate," Vickrey said. "To top that off, they're a good team. We have a few days of practice to get after it and get ready for zone."

After Corthell homered off Nikki Keller, Carson nicked Reno's Samantha Baker for a run in the third on a two-out single to right by Dacey Hassey that scored Sarah Evans, who had reached on a walk.

Reno snapped the 1-all tie in the bottom of the third with three runs. Britton Murdock slugged a two-run homer and Stepahnie Shuman, the pitching hero in Thursday's Reno win, doubled home Samantha Puzey, who blooped a single to center.

The roof caved in on Carson in the fifth, as the Huskies exploded for seven runs and nine hits off Christa Casci.

All the runs were unearned, as a dropped foul fly extended Puzey's at-bat, and she hit a two-run single. A misjudged flyball off the bat of Baker, allowing Reno to score a run.

"They got us early," Vickrey said. "The second or third pitch and she goes yard. That might have been the hardest ball I've seen hit all year

"You can't give teams extra trips to the dish like we did. If you do they will make you pay."

Carson took a 1-0 lead off Shuman in the second game when Casci singled and eventually scored on Hassey's single.

Reno took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning with two runs off Cassie Vondrak.

Reno added five in the second, two in the third and one in the fifth to take a 10-1 lead.

Carson scored its final run in the top of the sixth when Kaitlin Burroughs walked, was bunted to second by Abby Rankl, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Hassey's sacrifice fly to left.

Reno ended the game with two runs in the sixth.

Besides Casci and Hassey, Candice Rutledge singled for the Senators.

Murdock went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI for the Huskies. Naomi Garcia and Shuman added two hits apiece.