HENDERSON — After permitting just one run in 25 innings over four games, the Western Nevada College baseball team gave up six runs in a game-turning seventh inning on Saturday.
Brandon Eyring stroked a tiebreaking two-run single and Hadley Thorpe smashed a three-run homer as Utah State University Eastern rallied for a 6-3 nonconference baseball victory over the Wildcats.
“When you don’t extend leads and let teams hang around, sometimes they come back to bite you,” said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore. “Generally, it was uninspired play. We didn’t swing the bats great and gave up some outs on the base paths.”
It was only the fifth victory all time for Eastern Utah against WNC and the Golden Eagles first of the season against six defeats.
Golden Eagles left-hander Dakota Carlson handcuffed the Wildcats for seven innings, scattering five hits.
But in the eighth, the Wildcats mounted a rally as Austin Andrews hit a leadoff single to center field and scored on Jake’s Bennett’s triple. Carlson, however, battled back to fan Kody Reynolds and Corey Pool before Bradley Lewis hit a RBI single to right field to score Bennett and pull WNC to within 6-3. A pinch-hit single by D.J. Peters brought Tim Lichty to the plate as the possible tying run, but Thorpe came on in relief to extinguish the rally with a fly out.
“It was their starting pitcher who beat us. He changed speeds really well,” Whittemore said.
Andrews, Bennett and Lewis each delivered two hits. Bennett extended his streak of reaching base to 15 games. He’s also produced at least one hit in 14 of WNC’s 15 games.
The Wildcats (8-7) ran themselves off the bases several times. With the teams scoreless in the fifth inning, Lewis singled and Parker Woodley walked with one out. After a Riley Ingram fly out, Woodley was thrown out trying to get back to first base on a double-steal attempt.
Brogan Secrist walked with one out in the sixth but was thrown out trying to swipe second base. The erased baserunner proved costly when Andrews followed with a triple. Carlson got out of the jam by getting Bennett to pop up to second base.
Kyle Johnson, a Douglas High School product, started for the Wildcats, allowing two hits in four shutout innings. He struck out two and walked one.
Thomas Kerr relieved Johnson to start the fifth and worked two perfect innings.
After Reynolds grounded out to start the Wildcat sixth, Corey Pool walked, then stole second base. Following a strikeout by Lewis, Carlson uncorked a wild pitch, enabling Pool to cross the plate to snap the scoreless tie.
WNC missed several other scoring opportunities.
“It’s a great accomplishment to be 8-7 right now,” Whittemore said. “That was as tough of a nonconference schedule as anyone has played in the country and to still come out above .500, that is a really good accomplishment.”
VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL
Manogue girls win title
Reno High’s quest for a state three-peat ended Saturday night at the hands of the Manogue Miners.
Bishop Manogue went on a 18-5 tear in the last 4-plus minutes of the third quarter and the first couple minutes of the fourth quarter en route to a 57-46 win over the Huskies at Morse Burley Gymnasium in the Division I regional champinship game.
The win sends the Miners into the state tournament Thursday at the Orleans Arena.
Reno was unable to handle Manogue’s full-court pressure, and although Mallory McGwire scored 17 points, she was never a factor in the game.
Reno, trailing 30-24 at the half, cut the lead to 33-29 with 4:59 left in the third quarter. Manogue, thanks to two buckets by Tawni Henderson and a 3-pointer by Malia Holt, went on a 14-5 tear to end the quarter with a 47-34 lead. Manogue stretched the lead to 51-34 with two free throws by Katie Turner and a basket by Breezi Holt (13 points).
Turner also scored 13 for the Miners and Henderson added 10. Mikayla Shults finished with 11 for Reno and Daranda Hinkey added 10.
VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL
Muckers claim regional title
ELKO — Virginia City, thanks to tight defense and the scoring of Clint and Colt Hess, knocked off Whittell, 37-33, to win the Division IV regional championship Saturday afternoon at Spring Creek High School.
Clint Hess scored 16 and Colt Hess added 11.
“Holding Whittell to 33 points was a great job,” VC coach Tom Maurer said.
VC opens play in the state tournament on Friday.