PREPS: Carson tops Novato, Spanish Springs

SPARKS - Carson High's offense was in top form Friday, belting out 26 hits en route to wins over Novato and Spanish Springs Friday at the Sierra Nevada Classic at Spanish Springs High School.

Carson opened the day with a 12-1 win over Novato, scoring in every inning but the fourth. The Senators scored seven times in the top of the seventh to wipe out a 7-6 deficit and beat Spanish Springs 13-7.

The Senators, 3-0 in the tourney, improved to 14-6 overall, but won't play in the finals today so that players can attend funeral services for classmates Stephen Anderson and Keegan Aiazzi, both of whom died in a scuba diving accident last weekend in Monterey, Calif.

Austin Pacheco swung the big bat for the Senators, ripping two homers in each game. He went 4-for-9 with five RBIs. Colby Blueberg went 4-for-7 with a homer against Novato and two RBIs.

"He (Pacheco) hit the ball really well," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "We've been hitting the ball pretty well.

"I'm pleased with the defense. We only made a couple of errors all day. I'm really proud of the kids, considering what they went through this week. The Spanish Springs kids made a card and signed it which I thought was a class act by them. We had it hung up in our dugout."

The win over Spanish Springs was especially pleasing because it wiped out the sting of being swept by the Cougars earlier this year. The bulk of Carson's big inning came against Jake Bray, who closed out the Cougars' win at Ron McNutt field earlier this season.

Blueberg and Adam Whitt led the Carson attack with three hits apiece.

Casey Wolfe picked up the win against the Cougars, allowing one run and three hits in relief of starter Carter Nuckolls.

Against Novato, Whitt scattered six hits and didn't allow an earned run. He struck out six and walked three in six innings. Wolfe closed out the gam.

Pacheco and T.J. Thomsen had two hits apiece. Chance Quilling drove in two runs and Nick Domitrovich hit a solo homer.

SOFTBALL

CARSON GIRLS GO 1-1-1

SPARKS - Carson High's softball team went 1-1-1 at the Reed Easter Tournament at the Shadow Mountain Softball Complex.

The Senators opened with a 15-5 loss to perennial powerhouse James Logan, tied Inderkum of Sacramento (4-4) and then beat McQueen (12-2).

Carson plays Douglas today at 9:15 a.m., and because of the services, Carson coach Scott Vickrey will only have nine or 10 players at his disposal.

"We were up and down," Vickrey said. "I thought we could have played better defense. We played OK defense, just not as well as we are capable of doing."

Carson's only win in the circle came from freshman Jen Purcell, who allowed two hits and struck out three according to Vickrey. Purcell retired the first nine batters she faced.

Purcell got plenty of offensive support, as her teammates scored four runs in three different innings.

Christa McGahuey hit a grandslam in the first inning and Purcell helped her cause with three hits, including a two-run double. Morgan Kleine and Emily Collins had two hits while Lisa Yamamoto and Christina Gallegos added a hit apiece.

In the James Logan game, Carson trailed just 5-3 entering the sixth when Logan scored seven times to take control. Moriah Lane had a run-scoring triple and single to lead the Senators. Yamamoto, Hannah Winder, K.C. Withrow and McGahuey collected a hit apiece. Lou Ashbaugh took the loss in the circle, allowing eight runs and 10 hits.

Carson led Inderkum 4-2 entering the fifth only to see the Sacramento school score twice to tie the game. Gallegos allowed eight hits and struck out four. Withrow and McGahuey collected two hits apiece while Purcell added a run-scoring single.

DOUGLAS GOES 2-1

SPARKS - The Tigers opened with a 7-4 loss to Reed, but bounced back to beat Fernley 12-1 and Foothill 5-3.

Reed scored four in the first and three in the fifth in the opener. Illiana Brown drove in two runs for the Tigers, and Nikki Chavez collected two hits.

Against Fernley, Brenna White (2-for-3), Aaliyah Paxson (2-for-4) and Amanda Caras (3-for-4) drove in two runs apiece while Kelly Sonnemann went 3-for-4.

In the win over Foothill, Douglas scored three times in the third to take a 4-3 lead and held on the rest of the way.

White went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs, while Paxson and Caras added two hits.