Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal Justin Garcia pitches for the Wildcats on Wednesday against the Reno Astros at WNCC.
Even though it's just a fall exhibition game, based on its first action, there's a lot to like about the Western Nevada Community College baseball team.
WNCC opened its fall season with an 8-6 win over the Reno Astros in a scrimmage on Wednesday at John L. Harvey Field. In the Astros, the Wildcats could have a rival for fall baseball since the two teams will play six more times this fall.
"I'd like to make it that way," said WNCC coach D.J. Whittemore about developing a rivalry between the two teams. "Those guys are good. They do nothing but win all summer."
WNCC scored six runs all with two outs in the fifth inning to build an 8-1 lead and then held on. "Getting a lot of two-out hits can make you look like a better baseball team," Whittemore said.
"There's a lot of good things, but plenty to work on. It's going to be fun to coach. There's a lot we can learn, a lot we can do better."
The Wildcats scored all eight of their runs off of former Major League pitcher Mike Hartley who was the pitching coach for the Golden Baseball League champion Reno Silver Sox. Hartley looked like a pitcher who had spent all his summer coaching and not on the mound.
"I don't want to see him in another three weeks," Whittemore said. "They misplayed a few balls behind him."
Whittemore said if the fifth inning didn't turn out the way it did, "obviously it's a different ball game."
WNCC assistant coach Mike Gilles also played third for the Astros. Gilles was unable to handle a hot shot by Thomas Miller that went for a double, but he more than made up for that with a three-run home run off of Carson's Wes Osmer.
"Gilles proved that he's a heckuva player," Whittemore said. "That gives him credibility with the players."
Still, Whittemore said the Wildcats have bragging rights. "We'll give him a hard time about being on the wrong side of the scoreboard," Whittemore said.
After Miller's double, Brad Carlsen belted a double off the high centerfield fence to make it 1-1. In the fourth, Kyle Bondurant's RBI single gave WNCC a 2-1 lead.
Carlsen began the fifth inning rally with a double and Douglas High's Chad Walling followed with an RBI triple. Carson's Kevin Schlange followed with an RBI single and Anthony Garcia hit a three-run double. Ryan Simpson then hit an RBI double to make it 8-1.
"I think we have some more talent offensively than we did last year," Whittemore said.
Carson's Cisco Melendez doubled and scored for the Astros to cut the deficit to 8-2.
Osmer was charged with four unearned runs all after there were two outs and an error extended the inning, with Gilles' three-run shot completing the rally. Wooster's Jeremy Joustra came on to pitch a scoreless eighth and Josh Creveling pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.
WNCC's pitchers walked just one batter and with the exception of the error that led to the four runs, the Wildcats' defense was solid.
"That's terrific," said Whittemore about the pitching. "No. 1 in our program is throw strikes. We played good defense. That's No. 2."
Garcia and Carlsen each had two hits, Cliff Shepard had two hits, including a double, Jason Chapman doubled and Jeff Young beat out an infield single and stole second for WNCC. Carson's Joe Mercer singled for the Astros.
Schlange started at shortstop and Bondurant started at second for WNCC. Throughout the fall, Schlange, Bondurant and Carson's Logan Parsley should see plenty of time at the middle infield spots, with the combination of Bondurant at short and Parsley at second being used as well.