Luke Maher
RENO — Luke Maher, Charlie Banfield and Cody Schmidlin donned the Carson blue and white one last time for Saturday’s Northern Nevada Senior All-Star baseball game.
And, they were happy to celebrate a victory to officially end their high school season.
Maher contributed a hit, Banfield pitched a scoreless inning and Schmidlin made a nice defensive play at third base to help the South to a 2-0 win over the North at Zunini Field.
“It was fun to come out here and play with all these good players,” said Banfield, who has been pitching for the Muckdogs this summer and will graduate this week from Carson.
“I’m not sad that this was the last time I’ll wear this uniform. I was more sad at the end of the regular season and the playoffs.”
Maher, who also has been playing summer ball in Reno, said he enjoyed his experience immensely.
“It was nice to come out here and have some fun,” he said.
It was the South team that did have all the fun. Five pitchers — Damonte’s Kyle Richard, Wooster’s Jaymes Spang, Banfield, Wooster’s J.J. Harloff and Damonte’s Matt Olson combined on a 4-hitter. Richard and Olson threw two innings each.
The closest the North came to scoring was in the second when Spanish Springs’ Lucas Jones singled and got around to third on a single by Reno’s Graham MacMillan single. Richard fanned Spanish Springs’ Shannon Kelly to end the threat.
The North also threatened in the sixth, Olson’s first inning. McQueen’s Nick Agliolo singled and went to second on an error, but Olson struck out Brandon Molder looking to end the inning.
The South took a 1-0 lead in the first against Reno’s Austin Atkerson. Galena’s Michael Jones singled, but was picked off first. After Douglas’ Chase White grounded out, Douglas’ Dusty Fisher singled to left. Galena’s Cole Fenner then ripped a shot to right-centerfield to score Fisher. Fenner, however, was thrown out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.
The South scored its final run in the third, and probably should have had at least one more.
Damonte’s Kyle Bailey singled and stole second. After Schmidlin struck out, Douglas’ Cody Carter singled to right, sending Bailey to third.
Jones hit a weak infield roller, and Bailey was able to beat Raymond Kerr’s flip to the plate. Jones took second on the play. White followed with a single, and Carter ran through a stop sign, stopped, but was unable to get back to third in time and was thrown out.
The South managed to get just one runner to second the remainder of the game.
NOTES: The South out-hit the North, 8-4... Because of graduation, the South didn’t have any Manogue or Douglas seniors. Patrick Wolfe was a no-show ... Reno’s Garrett Hampson missed the game because he was in Los Angeles to have an individual tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals.