Bighorns hold off Cardinals, improve to 4-0

The Carson Cardinals held their own in a 6-1 loss to the Nevada Bighorns on Sunday at Ron McNutt Field.

The 6-1 win for the Bighorns finished off a successful 4-0 opening weekend as earlier on Sunday, the Bighorns finished off a three-game series sweep of College of Marin (Calif.), winning 5-1.

Rob Valerius was the starting pitcher for the Cardinals against the Bighorns and struck out five over five innings. In the first inning, the Bighorns took a 2-0 lead without a hit on two walks, a throwing error and a groundout.

The Cardinals closed to 2-1 in the second without a hit. Drew Good was hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a fielder's choice and scored when Stephen Sawyers executed a suicide squeeze.

In the third, the Bighorns took a 3-1 lead when Ryan Simpson singled, Steve Mays doubled to put runners at second and third and Tyson Jaquez followed with an RBI sacrifice fly.

David Eller pitched the last two innings for the Cardinals, allowing three unearned runs in the seventh while striking out three. After an error and Sean Costella walked, Jaquez hit a three-run home run with two outs to give the Bighorns a 6-1 lead in the seventh.

Darren Boone pitched the first three innings for the Bighorns, allowing two hits, and Billy Moss struck out four over three innings, not allowing a hit. Jeff Young pitched the seventh, retiring the side in order while striking out two.

Jaquez had two hits and four RBI and Daniel Eastham doubled for the Bighorns. Kyle Stone and Markus Adams singled to account for the Cardinals' hits.

Against Marin, Eastham pitched five shutout innings, allowing two hits for the win. The Bighorns scored three runs in the second and one in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.

In the sixth, Marin scored an unearned run to make it 4-1. But Pete Rogan then got a groundball to Young at third with runners at first and third and one out. Young threw to Adam Anderson for the first out and when the runner from third broke for home, Anderson nailed him at the plate for the inning-ending double play.

In the bottom of the sixth, Nick Nyman doubled and scored on Rogan's single to make it 5-1. Rogan allowed the one unearned run over the last two innings.

Nyman had three hits, Young and Greg Pellici each had two hits, including a triple, Mays had two hits and Kevin Schlange added a hit. The Bighorns return to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Reno Astros at Moana Stadium. The Cardinals will next play at 11 a.m. this Sunday against the Douglas Tigers at McNutt Field.