Austin Garcia pitches during Saturday's game at Governors Field.
Austin Garcia kept his head and controlled his pitches with the game already potentially getting away from the Carson 10-year-old all-stars and the end result was a turning point that led to a win.
Behind Garcia’s pitching Carson went onto beat Reno National 9-4 Saturday at Governors Field in an elimination game in the District 1 Little League Tournament. Carson kept its championship hopes alive and plays another elimination game at 1 p.m. today.
Reno had already taken a 2-0 lead and still had the bases loaded with no outs when Garcia entered in the first inning. Garcia limited the damage to one run as Reno took a 3-0 lead.
Garcia went onto allow just one unearned run over four innings to pick up the win. Garcia struck out only two, but recorded eight outs via the groundball.
Yaki Glenn picked up where Garcia left off, pitching two scoreless innings to end the game. Of the six outs he recorder, five came via the groundball, so Garcia and Glenn combined to record 13 of their 18 outs via the groundball.
Glenn also received strong defensive support as Garcia made a nice backhanded play at second base and went onto throw the runner out at first during a 1-2-3 fifth on five pitchers for Glenn.
Then in the sixth, Garcia made a diving stop and flipped to second for the force. Third baseman Justin McCraw followed by turning a game-ending double play.
After Reno took a 3-0 lead, Carson responded to take a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the first. Tanner Bohemier and Anthony Plenata, who had three hits, each singled to begin the rally.
McCraw was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Carson scored two runs on two straight fielder’s choices. After a run scored on an error, Jordan Sieben hit a two-run single to give Carson a 5-3 lead.
Glenn led off the third with a single for Carson and eventually scored on Nolan Pedersen’s single. Plenata followed with a two-run single to give Carson an 8-4 lead.
In the fifth, Tyler LaFollette manufactured a run for Carson after reaching on an error. He stole second and went to third on an overthrow and kept running to force a throw home. On his way back to third, he went onto score on an overthrow to give Carson a 9-4 lead.
Carson banged out 10 hits. Glenn and Bohemier each had two hits and McCraw doubled.
Carson 11s fall
Carson fell to 1-1 in the double elimination championship tournament, losing 15-0 to Reno American. Carson will play in an elimination game at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Thomas Burchett turned in a solid effort on the mound for Carson as he didn’t allow an earned run over 2 2/3 innings. He received defensive help in the second inning on outstanding defensive plays by Caleb Morgan at shortstop and Thomas Young, who made a spectacular leaping, over-the-shoulder catch in left field.
Carson was held to three hits. Burchett, DeCarlo Quintana and Devon Sanchez all singled.
Anders Graul, Anthony Planeta, Austin Garcia, Colin Boeckman, Jordan Sieben, Justin McCraw, Keegan Ferris, Kincaid Gill, Nolan Pedersen, Tanner Bohemier, Tristan Hawkins, Tyler LaFollette, Yaki Glenn.