Even the home field advantage didn't help the Carson High School softball team against nationally ranked Wooster and ace pitcher Brianne McGowan on Tuesday afternoon.
On April 13, Wooster swept a doubleheader in Reno 4-0 and 12-0 as McGowan pitched back-to-back no-hitters and struck out 27 of the 36 Senators she faced. The story was similar in Tuesday's rematch when McGowan turned in another no-hit performance for Wooster in a 12-0 victory.
So it was understandable if there was a hint of relief in John Sullivan's voice when he spoke after the game, which was called after six innings due to the 10-run rule.
"I'm glad we don't have to play them anymore," the Carson coach said. "It would be nice if more people would come out and watch because she's very good and they're a good team."
McGowan faced 19 batters over six innings, struck out 11 and walked two on a day when her pitches were consistently clocked at 66 mph or better with a high of 70. The 6-foot-2 junior is 22-2 with 18 shutouts this season -- and six no-hitters.
Carson (9-5 league, 15-11 overall) had two base runners. Bethany Henry drew a full-count walk with two outs in the fourth inning and Brittany Puzey walked with two outs in the sixth. Puzey was thrown out trying to steal second to end the game.
Wooster now leads the Sierra League with a 14-0 record (28-2 overall) and the Colts have won 55 straight conference games. The Colts have won 19 straight games since losing to nationally ranked Foothill (Tustin, Calif.) at the Tournament of Champions in Arizona -- outscoring their opposition 157-5 during the streak.
Wooster was listed No. 14 in ESPN's national prep softball rankings last week. Now here's some really scary news. Coach Dick Allen says the team is getting better.
"We put the ball in play, we got some two-out hits and we got some nice contributions from the bottom of our order and from some people on the bench," Allen said. "Those are all things we're looking for before we go to the playoffs."
Cindy Elkins, a three-time all-state center fielder who has moved to shortstop this season, hit 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI for Wooster and Jenny Lazzari was 3-for-4. Andrea Lazzari was 2-for-4 in her third game back after breaking a bone in her throwing hand during the preseason and Katie Stevens was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
"Having Andrea back helps," Allen said. "She can hit the ball and it always helps to have that extra bat."
Andrea Lazzari singled and scored on an Elkins double to give Wooster a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Colts added three more runs in the second, aided by two Carson errors and singles from Lazzari and Elkins.
Dunn pitched the distance for Carson and allowed 11 hits. The freshman struck out seven and walked two.
"Kayla threw well," Sullivan said. "There's just not a lot you can do against a team like that. I've heard they're nationally ranked and they play that way. Like any good team, they take advantage of your mistakes, and then all of a sudden, you find yourself down by a bunch."
