Western Nevada's Briauna Carter scores the winning run against College of Southern Nevada catcher Rebekka Gross at Edmonds Sports Complex Carson City, Nev., on Saturday, May 2, 2015.
Giving up a three-run edge in the final inning could emotionally deflate a team. College of Southern Nevada’s comeback only served as more motivation for the Western Nevada Wildcats on Saturday.
Makaylee Jaussi’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the last of the seventh inning lifted the Wildcats to a 5-4 Scenic West Athletic Conference softball victory at Edmonds Sports Complex.
The victory clinched the Wildcats’ first home winning season in program history.
However, the Coyotes tallied eight fourth-inning runs and held off a furious WNC rally for a 14-9 triumph in the second game of the doubleheader.
“They were fighting pretty hard, and I thought they played really well overall all weekend,” said WNC coach Leah Wentworth, whose club finished with a 10-9 home record.
Freshman Kristina George, who held the Coyotes hitless in five separate innings, battled through a seventh-inning rally by the Coyotes. The Coyotes sprayed five hits, four into the outfield, to rally to tie the score at 4.
The Wildcats took advantage of an infield pop being lost in the sun to strike back in their half of the seventh. Kacie Freudenberger hustled all the way to second base on the miscue to lead off the inning. WNC followed with a walk to Briauna Carter and a bunt single by Kelsey Callahan to fill the bases with no one out. Following a force out at the plate, Jaussi became determined to put the ball between the chalked lines after falling behind in the count 0-2 to Megan Mello.
Although Jaussi’s fly ball was to short center field, Carter got a good jump from third base after tagging up and handily beat the throw to the plate to score the winning run.
WNC responded with two runs in its half of the first. A double by Jaussi and base hits by Sakuma and Freudenberger cut CSN’s lead to 4-2 in the nightcap.
But the Coyotes temporarily blew open the second game in a fourth frame that started with a pop fly lost in the sun and consecutive bunt singles.
WNC answered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs after the Coyotes recorded two outs. A two-run single by Bailey Henderson and RBI base knocks by Lauren Lesniak, Sakuma and Freudenberger aided the Wildcats as they crept within 12-8. Henderson’s sacrifice fly in the fifth made the score 12-9, but CSN got the run back in the sixth and scored the game’s final run in the seventh.
The Wildcats were outhit 20-17. Freudenberger was 3 for 4 with two RBI, Sakuma was 3 for 4 with a run scored and run batted in, Katilyn Covione was 2 for 3 with two runs scored, Henderson was 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run and Jaussi was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
WNC coaches and players honored the program’s four sophomores between games. Playing their final home for the Wildcats were Covione, Lauren and Nicole Lesniak and Sakuma.
JC BASEBALL
Wildcats lose in 9th
HENDERSON — College of Southern Nevada snapped a 4-all tie with a run in the bottom of the ninth to knock off Western Nevada 5-4 in the regular-season finale Saturday afternoon.
WNC heads into the league tournament with a 32-24 record, while regular-season champ CSN is 40-15.
Tyler Brown singled and stole second. After Connor Zwetsch (2-5) struck out Ali Deolarte, Kenny Meimerstorf was walked intentionally. Alec Hutt was inserted as a pinch-hitter and delivered the walk-off single.
WNC had 11 hits and left 11 runners on. D.J. Peters went 3-for-5 with an RBI and Tim Lichty went 2-for-4. Kody Reynolds added a hit and two RBI.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Elko blanks Dayton
ELKO — Dayton closed out the regular season with a 10-0 loss Saturday afternoon.
Dayton went three up and three down for the first three innings before putting together its only threat in the fourth. Jaret Reed broke up the perfect game with a single and Jesse Schmidt followed with a double, which were Dayton’s only hits of the game. Dylan Baker was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but the Dust Devils left the bases juiced.
“We knew coming into the season we didn’t have all the piece to be competitive consistently,” DHS coach Mike Burrows said. “I was proud of the seniors that stuck it out and played hard until the last out. It’s going to be a process getting our program to the next level, and we have a lot of work to do this summer. I feel good about where we’re headed.”
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Tigers sweep Carson
MINDEN — Kali Sargent fired a five-inning one-hitter on Saturday to put Douglas High on track to an 11-0 Northern Division I softball win at home in game one of a doubleheader against Carson.
Sargent had 11 strikeouts and no walks as she logged her 13th win and third shutout of the season. The senior helped her own cause by hitting 1-for-3 with a double and RBI. Bailey Allen got the only hit off Sargent.
Douglas (15-7 conference, 21-11 overall) came back to win the second game, 11-1 and now moves on to play in the region tournament starting on Thursday at Bishop Manogue High School. Carson ended its season with a 3-19 conference record (5-27 overall).
Allison Meyer led Douglas offensively by hitting 3-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBI. Madison Parks went 2-for-4 with a triple and 4 RBI, while Mackenzie Brixey went 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored.
In game two, Douglas collected 14 hits to complete its sweep. Meyer went 3-for-3 with another home run and 2 RBI. The junior leads the team in hitting for the season with a .439 batting average, six home runs and 27 RBI.
Bailey Allen went 2-for-3 to lead the Senators in the second game. Lauren Lemburg and Gabi Winder each had a single. Lemburg drove in Carson’s only run, following Allen’s first-inning triple.
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
Dayton teams triumph
DAYTON — The Dust Devils had an easy time at their own Lyon County Championships on Saturday.
The Dayton boys scored 296.5 followed by Fernley at 194.5 and Yerington at 151.6. The Dayton girls scored 267 points followed by Fernley at 220 and Smith Valley at 109.6.
Benji Ply won the high jump (6-2), long jump (20-4) and pole vault (14-6), while Tobias Tapley won the 100 (11.0) and the 200 (22.6) and Zach Hawley won the shot (55-3 3/4) and discus (151-9). J.J. Ply won the 110 hurdles (15.3), Dallon Mendoza won the 400 (51.4) and Brady Huesser won the 1600 (4:40.5). The Dayton boys won the 800 relay in 1:32.3 with the team of Tapley, Skyler Berntson, Mendoza and Brandon Wood.
On the girls side, Zaria Landis won the 1600 (5:49.7), Kaylee Turner took the shot put (36-6) and Cheyenne Strong won the long jump (14-10 1/4). Dayton won all four relays thanks to the efforts of Rachel Hadley, Sydney Strickler, Kyra Mills, Landis, Rachel Hadley, Magaly Gonzalez, Jessie Ingham, and Rebecca and Ashley Mason.
HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING
CHS girls sweep, boys split
The Carson High girls knocked off McQueen (173-113) and Reno (183-104) in a double-dual meet at Carson Aquatic Center.
The Carson boys beat McQueen (156-80) and lost to Reno (130-118).
Blanca Sosa won the 200 free (2:03.01) and was second in the 100 back (1:06.07). She also swam legs on the wining 200 and 400 free relay teams. Nicole Van Geel won the 100 butterfly (1:09.28) and also swam on the 200 relay with Morgan Nelson and America Brena-Gutierrez, and the 400 relay with Nelson and Cristina Saenz, who also won the 50 free in 27.56.
Dagen Kipling led the boys with wins in the 200 free (2:00.08) and 100 breaststroke (1:09.47), and Jesse Session won the 200 I.M. (2:23.41) with Tallon Rauch grabbing victory in the 100 fly (58.57). Brett Kolb had second-place finishes overall in the 500 free and 100 back. The boys were second overall in all the relay events.