A Keystone Kops-style first inning gave Carson High a big lead and the South Tahoe High Vikings never got their offense going on Thursday, falling 11-0.
Carson pitcher Lindsay Farnworth threw a four-hitter and slammed a three-run home run in the seventh inning to cap the scoring. South Tahoe starter Mollie Novasel also went the entire way but didn't fare nearly as well as her counterpart, surrendering 10 hits, eight walks and two hit batsmen.
The opening frame was especially painful for the Vikings as Carson (9-7 overall, 4-4 Sierra) put across five runs on only one hit. Novasel walked four and hit two in the inning. The lowlight was a bases-loaded wild pitch that resulted in all three Senators crossing the plate.
Farnsworth scored from third on the first miscue, and the throw to get her got past Novasel. That allowed Jessica Ashbaugh to score from second, with the resulting throw again getting away from the Viking infielders. Jamie Yenter scored all the way from first for the Senators' fourth run of the inning, and Jessica Grant later scored on another wild pitch.
"Mollie doesn't start very often, and I think she was a little nervous out there," South Tahoe head coach Rich Barna said. "Once she settled down, she pitched a lot better."
The senior allowed only four runs over the next five innings, keeping the Vikings from going down to the 10-run rule for the second time this week. The Vikings (2-17, 0-10) have been shut out in two straight games.
"I would've liked to see us finish (South Tahoe) off when we were way up on them," Carson head coach Scott Vickrey said. "But this was a must-win game for us to get to zone (playoffs), so I'm pretty happy overall."
Farnworth's blast cleared the center field fence to put an exclamation point on the Carson victory, and Vickery was pleased with his star's hitting approach.
"We worked with Lindsay this week on going with the pitch, and she went the other way twice today," he said. "She's becoming a much more complete hitter."
Farnworth wasn't overpowering but allowed only three walks and benefited from errorless defense by her teammates, including two double plays. She faced only one batter more than the minimum over the final five innings.
The Vikings had their best shot at scoring in the second inning, loading the bases with only one out, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat.
Carson will face Wooster in a doubleheader on Saturday, and it will be rooting for the Vikings in their matchup with North Valleys High on the same day. Carson is in fourth place in Sierra Division play, trailed by North Valleys, and the division will receive four berths in the regional tournament.
