Western Nevada College's Christian Stolo pitches against Mt. Hood at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City, Nev., on Friday, March 14, 2014.
Western Nevada College’s baseball team opened its four-game nonconference series by sweeping Mt. Hood Community College, 9-6 and 6-5, thanks to dramatic homers by Joey Crunkilton and Rayne Raven Friday afternoon at John L. Harvey Field.
The teams square off again today in a doubleheader starting at noon.
In the opener, Mt. Hood rolled to a 4-0 lead thanks to three in the third and one in the top of the fifth against Max Karnos.
Western cut the lead to 4-2 in the fifth thanks to a run-scoring single by Spencer Dorsey and an RBI double by Kody Reynolds. Mt. Hood tacked on two more in the sixth to make it 6-2, chasing Karnos from the mound. WNC scored four in the sixth to tie the game thanks to a two-run triple by Reynolds.
After Connor Zwetch struck out the side in the seventh, Crunkilton won the game with a three-run walk-off homer with one out.
Reynolds had two hits for WNC, the only player to do so.
In the nightcap, WNC took a 5-0 lead after three.
Alex Fife gave WNC a 1-0 lead with a run-scoring infield out, an error in the second made it 2-0 and a three-run third highlighted by Sam Hall’s two-run double made it 5-0.
Mt. Hood fought back with one in the fourth and four in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 5. WNC had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Crunkilton grounded out to first with the winning run on third.
After reliever Spencer Greer retired the visitors in order, Raven delivered a two-out round-tripper to win the game in the 10th.
Tony Roque had two hits for the Wildcats.
WNC coach DJ Whittemore said afterward that he was happy to see his team play hard against a good team.
“It’s nice to win tight games,” he said. “They are well coached. It gives us confidence going into conference play.”
SOFTBALL
WNC loses two by identical scores
HENDERSON — College of Southern Nevada swept WNC, 11-3 and 11-3, Friday in a Scenic West Conference doubleheader.
With Carlee Beck still ailing with tendinitis, Katilyn Covione started the opener. She allowed 11 runs, eight earned, in 4.2 innings. CSN’s Aly Lamboo went the full five innings, allowing three runs and four hits. Seven of CSN’s runs came in the first three innings.
Madi Gonzalez went 2-for-3 and drove in a run for WNC and Jenny Rechel hit a solo homer.
In the second game, a two-run homer by Heather Septon gave WNC a 2-1 lead in the top of the second. CSN roared back with one in the second, three in the third and three in the fourth to take control. The game was called after six because of the eight-run mercy rule.
Septon and Rechel each had two hits to lead WNC.
The teams conclude the four-game series with a noon doubleheader today, which concludes the first half of the season.
“Once again, we’re facing some tough competition,” WNC coach Leah Wentworth said. “We’re hoping that playing top teams will help us in the second half of the season.”
Carson goes 0-1-1 in Sac
SACRAMENTO — The Senators went 0-1-1 on the second day of the Elk Grove Preseason Tournament at the Sacramento Softball Complex.
Carson opened with a 10-4 loss to Antelope, and then rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie Del Oro, 8-8.
Carson, 0-2-1 on the year, plays today at 10:45 a.m.
Kandis Tuttle singled and scored on Bailey Allen’s infield out to give Carson a 1-0 lead in the first.
Antelope pulled away with two in the third, four in the fourth and four in the fifth. Only four of Antelope’s runs were earned, as Carson made three big errors.
Tuttle, Becka Breuer, Maddy VonDuering and Skye Simpson had a hit each. Breuer and Allen had a RBI apiece.
Del Oro took a 5-0 lead after two, but Carson rallied to tie it thanks to four in the third and one in the fourth.
Michelle Perry reached on an error, advanced to third on Malia Tiffer’s double and scored on VonDuering’s fielder’s choice. Tuttle and Jen Purcell also contributed run-scoring singles. Gabby Winder singled and came around to score the tying run in the fourth. Del Oro took a 8-5 lead entering the bottom of the sixth. Perry drove in a run in the sixth with a single, and Purcell hit a HR to left-centerfield to tie the game.
Aubrey Northrup and Purcell had two hits apiece.
Dayton softball is 2-0
YERINGTON — The Dust Devils opened play in the Yerington Tournament with a 22-0 win over Hawthorne and a 10-0 win over Bishop.
Dayton plays Tonopah today at 10:45 and Battle Mountain at 1:45 p.m.
In the first game, Nichole Vienneau went 2-for-2 with five RBI and Ashley Morrison went 3-for-3. Makayla Shadle threw two scoreless innings and Mallory Dickenson threw one. The game was halted after three innings on the run rule.
In the second game, Vienneau went 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs and Clare Cerda went 2-for-2 with an RBI. The game was stopped after three innings on the run rule.
JV girls go 2-0
SPARKS — Carson opened the season with two straight wins at the Reed JV Invitational, knocking off Damonte Ranch (10-3) and Fallon (14-6) Friday at Shadow Mountain Park.
Sara Runge, Jamie Allred, Penelope Eisenhour and Darby Griffin all had two hits in the opening win to back Makenzie Tucker’s pitching efforts.
In the second game, Runge, Patricia Douglas and Allred all had three hits. Elise Brady and Gray added two each. Tucker went the distance for the win.