The Nevada Bighorns debut couldn't have gone any better as they swept a doubleheader against College of Marin (Calif.) on Saturday at Ron McNutt Field. The Bighorns won the opener 16-9 and the nightcap 5-2.
In the opener, the Bighorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead as Aaron Henry led off with a double. After Jeff Young walked, Tyson Jaquez followed with a two-run double. Ryan Simpson then belted a two-run home run over the centerfield fence.
Marin took a 6-4 lead in the second when it scored six unearned runs on the strength of three errors. But the Bighorns came back to take a 9-6 lead in the bottom of the second. Kevin Schlange and Henry singled and Schlange came all the way around from second to score on a wild pitch.
Jeff Young hit an RBI single and then the Bighorns scored three runs on two errors, a fielder's choice and walk to take a 9-6 lead. The Bighorns took advantage of errors to score two more runs to take an 11-6 lead in the third.
In the seventh, Schlange doubled and scored on Henry's single. After Henry was running on the pitch, he scored all the way from first on Young's single to right center to make it 13-6.
In the eighth, Simpson doubled and Shane Kockenmeister and Nick Nyman both followed with RBI singles to make it 15-8. Schlange then hit an RBI double to make it 16-8.
Simpson had three hits with his homer and two doubles, Schlange, Henry and Young all had three hits and Jaquez added two hits. Jesse Rasner didn't allow an earned run over five innings to pick up the win. The Bighorns played the second game of a doubleheader late Saturday night against Marin. Today, the Bighorns will play Marin at 10 a.m. and the Carson Cardinals at 1 p.m. at McNutt Field.
In the nightcap, Greg Pellic pitched five innings for the win. Eric Melendez struck out four over two innings and Josh Campo pitched the seventh for the save. Jonathan Silva had a double and an RBI, Steve Mays had two hits, a double and an RBI, Simpson doubled and Jaquez added a hit.