After watching a five-run advantage disappear in the sixth inning, the Carson High Softball team rebounded to score once in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a 6-5 victory at home against South Tahoe on Thursday afternoon.
Ariadne Gonzalez scored on a one-out passed ball to break a 5-5 tie and give the Senators (3-4 Sierra League, 7-5 overall) a win that kept them within reach of fourth-place in the league - worth a spot in the Northern 4A Regional Tournament.
The Senators won behind a four-hit pitching performance by Lindsay Farnworth, who pitched a complete game while ace Mandy Carvin rested with a stiff shoulder.
"Mandy has a little tendinitis in her shoulder right now, so we're going to have to evaluate her and see how she is," said Carson coach Scott Vickrey, whose Senators begin play in the Reed Easter Tournament today.
"That put pressure on Lindsay, but she came out and pitched well for us," Vickrey said of the senior.
Farnworth struck out seven and walked seven and gave up all five of South Tahoe's runs in the sixth. Missy Lucero pitched a three-hitter and walked 11 for the Vikings (0-9 league).
Carson won it in the seventh when Gonzalez led off the seventh with a single and advanced to second when Jessica Grant drew a full-count walk. Both runners advanced when Candice Rutledge laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, then Gonzalez scored the winning run moments later on a passed ball.
"Candice saved us with her bunt," Vickrey said. "Everyone in the world knew she was up there to bunt and they were cheating real hard, but she still put down a great bunt to advance the runners and put us in position to win."
The Senators also came up with a big rundown to end South Tahoe's sixth inning rally. South Tahoe had a runner on second and two outs when a pitch got past Gonzalez behind the plate. Carson's catcher quickly retrieved the ball and threw a strike to Katie Davis at third to start a rundown that led to Farnworth applying the tag to end the inning.
South Tahoe got singles from Kylie Novasel and Erin Tamison, a two-run double from Molly Novasel and took advantage of three Carson errors during the sixth inning rally.
Gonzalez collected two of Carson's three hits, including a leadoff triple in the second inning that led to a run.
