Carson softball wins its eighth straight

There's no denying that this season has been a case of would've, should've, could've for the Carson High softball team.

But there's no denying that the Senators are playing their best softball of the season to end the year even though they won't be heading to the NIAA 4A State playoffs. Carson won its eighth straight game, winning 12-2 at North Valleys on Thursday.

Nikki Keller pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out 10 over seven innings for Carson (8-11 in the Sierra League).

Abby Rankl went 4-for-4 with twou doubles and an RBI, Daria Leid had two two-run doubles for four RBI, Christa Casci went 3-for-5 with an RBI, Cassie Vondrak went 2-for-3 with two RBI, Krista Mattice had two hits, a double and an RBI, Hannah Shaw had two RBI, Loretta Cagle had an and K.C. Withrow, Belen Munoz and Keller all added a hit for Carson.

The Senators jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on Vondrak's RBI single, Leid's two-run double and Mattice's squeeze bunt that scored Leid. In the fourth, Leid hit her other two-run double to make it 8-0.

"We've been playing actually really good ball," Carson coach Scott Vickrey said. "We've been playing really solid. The bottom of the order is starting to hit the ball a lot and Nikki pitched a great game."

Carson will end the season with a doubleheader at home against North Valleys, beginning at 10 a.m.