Tyler Stagliano drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, and then shut down Centennial in the bottom of the seventh to lead Carson’s 10-11 all-stars to a 9-7 extra-inning win Thursday night at Governors Field.
Carson advances to an 8 p.m. game on Saturday against Reno Continental.
Carson led 7-4 entering the bottom of the fourth only to see Centennial score three times in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 7. Both teams had base runners in the fifth and sixth innings, but neither team could come up with a clutch hit.
Jaden Earle walked and stole second in the top of the seventh. Stagliano followed with what proved to be the game-winning hit, Chase Wixon followed with a ground ball, but the throw to second for the force was mishandled. Ethan Foley forced Wixon at second, and Walker Mackenzie reached on an error, allowing Stagliano to score the second run of the inning. Centennial escaped without further damage.
Joseph Shepard hit an infield single to start the Centennial seventh. He moved to third on wild pitches, but Stagliano was able to strand him there.
Carson took a 2-0 lead in the first when Kobe Morgan hit a one-out double, moved to third on a bunt single by Tyler Gurrieri and scored on Wes Simpson’s infield out. Gurrieri scored on a wild pitch.
Centennial knocked around Foley to the tune of four runs and five hits in the first.
With one out, Carter Steel singled and was forced at second by Brenden Dominici. Carson Isop’s infield single moved Dominici to second. After a wild pitch, Joseph Shepard singled in Dominici to make it 2-1. Vaughan Vicente followed with a run-scoring single, tying the game at 2, and Caden Reasoner’s two-run single made it 4-2.
Carson tied the game at 4 with two in the third, as Morgan singled, stole second and scored on Gurrieri’s single. A passed ball accounted for the other run.
The locals extended the lead to 7-4 with three more in the fourth, two coming on a hit by Gurrieri and one on an error when Simpson’s ball was misplayed. Centennial bounced back with three of its own as Steel and Dominici delivered the key hits.
That set the stage for Stagliano’s heroics in the seventh after both teams came up short in the sixth.
Morgan led Carson, going 4-for-5, while Gurrieri added three hits and Stagliano collected two hits.
Steel led Centennial with three hits and Shepard added two.