Wildcat baseball takes second in USSSA event

This past weekend the Western Nevada Wildcats 13 and under baseball team composed of mostly Carson City seventh and eighth graders dropped a 10-3 decision in the championship game against the The East Bay Hackers, California's No. 1 ranked team, in the USSSA Field of Dreams Tournament in Redding, Calif.

The Wildcats opened by beating the Nevada County Coyotees of Grass Valley, Calif., 13-3 behind the pitching of Chase Blueberg, Tyler Fernandez and Jace Zampiro who combined on a 1-hitter. T.J. Thomsen, Zampiro, Tim Lichty, Blueberg and Fernandez were the leading hitters.

The Wildcats then had an impressive defensive performance in a 8-2 win over Red Hawk Baseball of Sacramento led by the pitching of Thomsen and Austin Ackerson who combined for a 2-hit complete game win. Zack Harges, Gehrig Tucker and Thomsen were the leading hitters.

The Wildcats then lost 3-2 to the Bobcats of Sacramento. Thomsen hit an inside-the-park home run in the game.

The Wildcats got to the championship game by beating the Reno Muckdogs 13-4. The Wildcats banged out 17 hits as Thomsen, Josiah Pongasi and Nevin Elliott all went 3-for-3. Chaz Nystrom, Blueberg, Harges, Ackerson, Lichty, Fernandez and Tucker all added a hit.

The Wildcats trailed the Hackers 6-3 after five innings in the championship game before the Hackers scored four runs over the last two innings for the final margin.