Joe 'Sausage' Tonino of Carson dives back to first base in an attempted pick off by the North Summerlin pitcher Saturday evening at Governor's Field.
Intermediates roll to an easy victory
Carson City’s Intermediate all-star squad rode the strong right arm of Garret Damico and a second-inning grand slam by Kahle Good to an easy 11-1 win over North Summerlin in the opening game of the best-of-three state series Saturday night at Governors Field.
The teams meet again tonight at 7:30. If Carson City wins, it would advance to the Western Regionals in Nogales, Ariz., on Thursday. A North Summerlin victory would force a third game on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
Damico was in command the entire way. He gave up three hits and fanned 11. The Las Vegas squad had just three base runners the entire game, which was stopped after five innings because of the 10-run rule. Damico struck out the side twice, and needed just 69 pitches in his gem.
Carson City took a quick 1-0 lead in the first when Landon Truesdale, who went 3-for-4, reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Jared Barnard’s triple to left-centerfield.
North Summerlin got the run back in the bottom of the inning.
With two outs via strikeouts, Nick Brahms blasted a ball over Good’s head in center. It should have only resulted in a triple, but Good missed the cutoff man, and Brahms alertly raced home as the ball rolled into the infield.
That was the extent of Summerlin’s offense, as the Las Vegas squad managed just two singles the rest of the way.
Carson City exploded for six runs in the top of the second thanks to some questionable strategy by the Las Vegas team.
After retiring Hayden Hudson to start the second, starter Brandon Ashe was lifted at the 20-pitch limit, meaning he could come back for Sunday’s (today’s) game. Jacob Gutierrez came on to pitch, and he had no success.
Joe Tonino walked, advanced to second on Matt Gunkel’s infield out and scored on Ian Pettersen’s double which turned out to be the game-winning blow. Damico walked and moved to third on Truesdale’s run-scoring single which made it 3-1. After Truesdale stole second, Barnard was walked intentionally, Good spoiled that strategy by ripping a deep drive to left field that went for an inside-the-park homer which capped the six-run inning and made it 7-1.
The winners tacked on three more in the third off reliever Shane Taylor, the third of five North Summerlin hurlers.
Tonino walked, stole second and moved to third on Gunkel’s single. Gunkel stole second, and both runners scored to make it 9-1 after Taylor uncorked a wild pitch. The third run came across when Damico and Truesdale, who reached on his third consecutive single, pulled off a double steal.
In the fourth, Cole Salacies walked and came around to score on two wild pitches to make it 11-1.
Damico struck out the first two hitters in the bottom of the fifth before Taylor reached on a single. Ashe popped to Nelson at first to end the game.