Bighorns sweep Chico, Carson nips Douglas

Appeal Staff Report

The Nevada Bighorns opened their season with an impressive doubleheader sweep of the Chico Sabres on Saturday at Western Nevada College's John L. Harvey Field.

The Bighorns won the opener 11-0 and the nightcap 12-2. Both games were called after five innings due to the mercy rule.

Jess Rasner and D.J. Simen of Lassen Community College combined on a two-hit shutout in the opener. Rasner allowed one hit and struck out five through three innings. Simen allowed one hit and struck out four over the last two innings.

The Bighorns jumped out to a 7-0 in the first inning. Aaron Henry led off with a single and stole second. After Ryan Simpson singled, Adam Anderson followed with an RBI single and Nick Nyman and Ray Barrett were both hit by a pitch to force in a run. Royal Good followed with a two-run single and Henry added an RBI triple to conclude the rally that made it 7-0.

Tyson Jaquez hit his first of two home runs on the day, Nyman doubled and Barrett hit a two-run double that made it 10-0. Colt Dotson added an RBI single in the fourth that made it 11-0.

Henry, Anderson and Nyman all had two hits, Jeff Young doubled and Matt McDougald added a hit for the Bighorns.

In the nightcap, Blake Nahlem of Lassen started on the mound for the Bighorns. He allowed just one hit over three innings, an RBI double that gave Chico a 1-0 lead in the first. The Bighorns tied the game in the bottom of the first on back-to-back doubles by Young and Simpson.

The Bighorns broke the game one with eight runs in the third. Good hit an RBI triple, Young, Anderson, Shane Kockenmeister and Tommy O'Brien all had RBI singles, Marshall Kennebrew hit a two-run double and Good ended the rally with an RBI single to make it 9-1.

Jaquez homered to make it 10-1 in the fourth. Kockenmeister homered in the fifth. After O'Brien singled, Ryan Lane of Division II Ashland College in Ohio, followed with an RBI triple to make it 12-2 and end the game.

Lassen's Brett Low finished up on the mound, allowing one run on two hits over the last two innings. Young, Kockenmeister and Good all had two hits.

Notes: The Bighorns added two Nevada pitchers to their roster, Chris Garcia and Stephen Bautista... The Bighorns will next play the Reno Astros at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Moana Stadium.

CARDINALS 10, DOUGLAS 9

Paul Cagle hit a three-run home run and Cody Barr added a two-run triple and a double for the Cardinals. Matt Rutledge pitched 6 2/3 innings for the win while David Charles got the last out for the save.