The Carson High softball team came oh so close to its biggest win in years, only to fall just short.
It could have been a win that put CHS back in the Sierra League playoff race, but instead Reno High came back to beat the Senators 4-3 in the nightcap to complete a sweep of a doubleheader on Saturday at Reno. The Huskies won the opener 12-0 behind Samantha Baker's no-hitter in a game that was called after five innings. Reno stayed unbeaten in league play while Carson fell to 4-11 in league.
In the nightcap, Carson held a 3-0 lead with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the fifth inning. After two singles, Carson had a chance to end the inning by recording the out at third base, but the runner was ruled safe on a close play.
Reno went on to score four runs in the inning. "We were pretty close to getting out of the inning," Carson coach Scott Vickrey. "I thought we had a legitimate chance to get it done and give them their first loss."
Other than the fifth inning, Cassie Vondrak, who pitched a complete game, shut down Reno in the rest of the contest. "She pitched a great game," Vickrey said. "She was hitting her spots."
Abby Rankl hit a home run in the first and Vondrak homered in the fourth. In the fifth, Christa Casci singled and eventually scored on Nikki Keller's single.
"The girls played good ball the seond game," Vickrey said. "Both teams played good ball. It was just a good ball game all the way around."
CHS JVS SWEEP
Christina Gallegos pitched her second no-hitter of the year in the opener as Carson (19-2, 15-0) swept a doubleheader, winning both games 11-0.
In the opener, Gallegos recorded 14 of a possible 15 outs by strikeout in pitching her no-hitter in a five-inning game. Marissa Lucido had three hits and three runs, Marcela Watson had two hits and three runs, Gallegos had a hit, run and an RBI, Lisa Yamamoto had a hit and a run and Lindsay Burroughs had a double and an RBI.
Natalie Morrow struck out eight over four innings and Gallegos finished up, striking out the side in the fifth in the nightcap. Elayna Shine had two hits and two runs, Breanna Perry had a hit, two RBI and two runs, Lauren Knorzer and Gallegos each had a hit and an RBI and Caitlin Sinclair had an inside-the-park home run, a double, three RBI and a run.