Jim Grant / Nevada Appeal
MINDEN — Douglas High sophomore Kali Sargent had a career day Tuesday afternoon against rival Carson High.
Sargent pitched 11 scoreless innings, striking out 15, walking none and scattering eight hits to pick up two Sierra League wins over the Senators. Sargent also provided the game-tying hit in the nightcap, helping to propel Douglas to the doubleheader sweep as it celebrated its four seniors’ final regular-season home game, 7-0 and 8-6.
“She had a great game in that first game,” Douglas coach Andy Mitchell said. “She was definitely hitting her spot. Her rise ball was working. Then she came in for relief in the second game and did a good job.”
Sargent led a dominating effort in Game 1, going the distance while striking out 12.
The Tiger offense backed her up in a big way, rumbling four runs across with two outs in the first inning, sparked by a two-run home run from Leonna Mortimer.
Makayla Shaver singled a run across and Kelly Sonnemann scored on a passed ball in the frame as well.
Douglas extended the lead on an RBI triple from Illiana Brown in the second inning. Brown later came in to score on a passed ball, making it 6-0.
Sargent was perfect through the first three innings, but the Senators strung their best chance together in the top of the fourth when Bailey Allen bunted safely to lead off.
Kandis Tuttle lined a single into center to move Allen to second. Jennifer Purcell added a single to load the bases with one out.
Sargent induced a ground ball right back into her own glove, though, firing home for the force out. Douglas catcher Sonnemann turned it into a double play by turning the throw to first for the out there.
Douglas scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Katie Chieffo singled Sonnemann home with two outs.
Allen went 2-for-3 in the game to lead the Senators while Ellise McGowan added a hit as well.
In Game 2, the Senators went up 6-2 with a big third inning but sputtered late as Douglas charged back for the 8-6 win.
The Tigers again led the game off with a strong first inning, with Brown hitting a line-drive single that scored Katie Kluever and Allison Meyer.
McGowan led the top of the second off with a deep home run to right field, cutting the score to 2-1.
That set up the five-run third, in which Sara Brewer led off with a double. Aubrey Northrup then drew a walk and Allen singled to load the bases. A fielder’s choice cost Carson its first out at home plate, but Purcell followed with singled to right, bringing Northrup home for the tying run.
McGowan continued her big game with a single that brought two runs in, putting the Senators up 4-2. A sacrifice fly from Rebecka Breuer made 5-2, and Michelle Perry singled McGowan home to make it 6-2.
That was as good as it would get for the Senator offense, though, as Sargent came on in relief the following inning to shut things down.
Sargent allowed just three hits through the remainder, not allowing any runners past second.
“We had things going in that second game (against Bowman),” Carson coach Shelby Tuttle said. “Douglas is a good hitting team, and they got things going. They put the pitcher from the first game back in there (Sargent) and she shut us down.”
Maddie Parks led the bottom of the fifth off with a single for Douglas. Kluever drew a walk, and Meyer reached safely on a bunt.
A fielder’s choice forced Parks out at home, but Leonna Mortimer followed with a single to bring Kluever and Meyer around, cutting the score to 6-4.
Sonnemann then drew a walk to re-load the bases and Sargent blasted a single that brought two runs in to tie the game up. Douglas left runners on second and third from there, temporarily ending the threat.
Parks against led off with a single, this time in the bottom of the sixth, and moved to second on a throwing error.
Kluever put down a sacrifice bunt, moving Parks to third and Meyer was hit by a pitch.
Parks came in to score the go-ahead run on a passed ball and Meyer later moved to third on a blown pickoff attempt.
Meyer went on to score on a passed ball with two outs before Carson got out of the inning.
Douglas improved to 17-10, 9-4 overall with the wins, further solidifying its chances of locking down the No. 2 spot in the Sierra League — meaning a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
Carson fell to 3-10 in league play with the losses, and the Senators are in danger of missing the playoffs. Carson visits Spanish Springs on Thursday and then hosts Galena in a doubleheader on Saturday. A playoff berth could ride on Douglas beating Galena twice, and even then that may not be enough.