Anderson homer leads Bighorns past Pirates

Appeal Staff Report

Adam Anderson's two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 10-10 tie and lifted the Nevada Bighorns summer college baseball team to a 12-10 victory over the NorCal Pirates on Sunday at Western Nevada College's John L. Harvey Field.

After Shane Kockenmeister reached on an error, Anderson belted his two-run shot for the final margin. Brett Low pitched the final three innings for the win, allowing one run on Bryan Barrington's homer, and striking out three.

The Bighorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first on two-run singles by Kevin Schlange and Kockenmeister. Starting pitcher Justin Cutler didn't allow a hit in the first three innings before allowing three runs in the fourth.

The Bighorns extended their lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the fourth on Nick Nyman's two-run double. Aaron Henry then hit a line drive to left and stretched the single into a double when he caught the Pirates' outfield sleeping. Schlange followed with a two-run single to make it 8-3.

Cutler, though, struggled with his control in the fourth as he walked three batters and hit a batter to force in a run. Cutler gave way to Troy Morris, who allowed a two-run single, before preventing any further damage in the inning. Cutler ended up being charged with six runs, four earned, in 4 1/3 innings while striking out five.

Morris allowed Barrington's RBI single, Thomas Nelson's RBI double and Mark Piland's RBI single that gave the Pirates a 9-8 lead in the sixth. Morris ended up allowing three runs over 1 2/3 innings.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Bighorns scored two runs with Kockenmeister's RBI single giving the Bighorns a 10-9 lead Barrington, who had three hits and four runs, tied it in the eight with his homer off of Low.

Henry and Nyman each had three hits and three runs, Schlange had two hits and four RBI, Kockenmeister had two hits and three RBI, Royal Good, Anderson and Ray Barratt all had two hits and Jonathan Silva and Tommy O'Brien each added a hit.

The Bighorns will wrap up the summer season Aug. 3 at noon at John L. Harvey Field against the Redding Colt 45s. The last time the two teams played, Redding beat the Bighorns 4-2 in 15 innings at the Western States Classic in Arcata, Calif.