Double-elimination play set to begin today
BY DARRELL MOODY
Appeal Sports Writer
It was a bittersweet day for the Carson Sharks 12-under softball team Tuesday morning at the NSA Western World Series at Edmonds Sports Complex.
The Sharks opened their pool-play schedule with a 2-1 win over the Desert Valley Dynomite on the strength of a four-hitter by Mikayla Jackson, but they were brought down to earth when the PYL Fierce handed them a 13-1 pasting in their second game.
The Sharks start double-elimination play in the B Division at noon today against the Galt Illusion on Field D at Edmonds Sports Complex.
The Sharks scored a run in each of the first two innings against the Dynomite, and Jackson made those tallies stand up.
Carson scored in the first on a hit batsman, a fielder's choice, a bunt single and an infield out.
In the second, the Sharks loaded the bases on singles by Emily Sandoval and Sarah Brewer plus a walk to Megan Goodale. Ellise McGowan's fielder's choice scored Sandoval from third to make it 2-0.
The Sharks put two runners on the basepaths in each of the next three innings, but couldn't come up with a clutch hit.
It didn't matter because of Jackson's dominance. She had a no-hitter for 5 1/3 innings and retired 13 of 15 batters in a span from the first to fifth inning. Jackson fanned eight and walked two.
"She's been battling all year," said Carson coach Julio Sandoval. "She has a knee problem. It's tough because she wants to play every inning of every game."
Sandoval said that Jackson has played in every tournament, but he rarely uses her in back-to-back games.
The Dynomite finally snapped the shutout, scoring a single run in the sixth. Jackson fanned the last two batters of the game with the tying run on third.
Sandoval, Malia Tiffer and Goodale all singled for the Sharks, who managed just three hits.
In the second game, the Fierce proved to be just that. The Southern California squad scored seven in the first and six in the second. The game was called because of the mercy rule after 2 1/2 innings.
"Without a doubt that's the best team we've played this year," Sandoval said. "We knew from looking at their Web-site that they hit the ball. We saw them beat Fernley (Desert Dynomite) 13-0 after three. It's good that we got to see a team with that kind of talent."
Carson scored its only run when Tiffer drew a walk with the bases loaded.
Nevada Wildcats 3, Valley Tribe 0
The undefeated Wildcats, thanks to a clutch two-run single by Jen Purcell, broke open a scoreless game with three fourth-inning runs en route to a big win in an A Division contest.
The Wildcats play the winner of the Lady Bruins-High Sierra Diamonds 95 today at 4 p.m. at Edmonds A.
The Wildcats had collected just one hit " Ashley Reese's single " through the first three innings before exploding in the fourth.
Kelly Lujan reached on a bunt single and Bailey West followed with a single to right which sent Lujan to second. Kayla Batastini, trying to move the runners up, bunted the ball too hard and the Tribe was able to force Lujan at third. A double steal and walk loaded the bases for Purcell, who delivered her second two-run hit in as many games. Amy Pender singled home the final run.
Batastini wiggled out of tight jams in all three innings that she pitched. She made some big pitches when she needed to, and Danielle Steward made a couple of nice defensive plays with runners in scoring position.
Batastini turned the ball over to Reese, who retired all nine batters she faced, including three by strikeout. Reese had a hand in seven of the nine outs she recorded.
Troy Batastini, the Wildcats' head coach, praise his team's defensive play after the contest.
"We really play strong defense," he said. "That's the best part of our game.
"Their pitcher threw outside a lot and we were trying to pull the ball instead of going with it. We made the adjustment. It worked out fine."
Elko Inferno 6, Dayton Prowlers 4
Despite a nice relief performance by Makayla Shadle, the Prowlers were unable to rebound from a 6-2 deficit against the Inferno.
Shadle worked four innings and allowed just two unearned runs.
The Prowlers got hits from Madison Foley, Becca Breuer and Jemma Ramirez.
The Prowlers play the High Sierra Diamonds 96 today at 8 a.m. at Edmonds Field B.
14-UNDER
Carson Valley Hot Shots 10, E.C. Hot Shots 2
The Hot Shots won their second consecutive pool game, snapping a 1-all tie with five runs in the third inning.
Kalee Duryee drilled a three-run homer to highlight the five-run third. The Hot Shots added three more runs in the fourth and another in the sixth.
Illiana Brown went 3-for-3, while Kelly Sonnemann, Duryee and Jenna Geyer added two hits each. Geyer also drove in two runs.
Once again, the Hot Shots took a couple of innings to get started, but they were impressive in the last four innings.
"Everybody hit the ball," said coach Tom Keck. "We talk to kids about not going after bad pitches."
Chelsea Fent, who has allowed less than a run a game this summer, picked up the win. She allowed single runs in the second and fourth innings.
"Chelsea did really well," Keck said.
The Hot Shots return to action at 10 a.m. today at Centennial Park.
16-UNDER B
Carson Sharks 12, N. Nevada Bad Girls 2
Lisa Yamamoto slugged a homer and drove in three runs, and Elayna Shine collected two hits and drove in two runs to lead the locals to an easy win.
The game was called after four innings because of the 10-run rule.
Emily Collins also contributed two hits as did Kayla Rae-Canfield and Breann Perry. K.C. Withrow, Lindsey Ashbaugh and Morgan Kleine all had a hit apiece.
Megan Barette fanned five and allowed two hits in her four innings of work.
The Sharks play the Elk Grove Thunder at the Golden Eagle Complex in Sparks at 2 p.m.