Carson High is hosting this year's zone and state softball tournaments. Unfortunately, the Senators will only be there as spectators.
Thanks to a disputed triple play in the fifth inning, five shutout innings by Nichole Ellis and a two-run homer by Catrina Cherry, North Valleys eliminated Carson from the post-season picture with a 5-2 win Tuesday at Carson.
The loss dropped the Senators to 4-9 in Sierra League play and North Valleys improved to 6-7. No matter what happens on Saturday, Carson won't be moving on.
"It was not the game I was hoping we'd come out and play," Carson coach Scott Vickrey said. "We made too many errors on both sides of the ball to win it. This time of the year you have to be playing good ball."
And to be blunt, Carson didn't play a really great game. The Senators made three errors in the field, one mental mistake on the basepaths and couldn't come up with a clutch hit until the seventh when North Valleys had already built up a 5-0 lead.
When people look back at this game, it's the triple play that North Valleys pulled off, not the errors, that will be remembered.
Trailing 1-0, Dacey Hassey singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Kaitlin Burroughs, who moved to second when Ariadne Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. Nichole Monge trickled a single through the right side, loading the bases for leadoff hitter Liz Rankl.
Rankl slammed a line drive to NV third baseman Jamie Swanson. Burroughs took off at first contact, and Swanson fired an errant throw home. A NV fielder alertly retrieved the ball and fired a strike back to third to nail Burroughs, who hadn't tagged up. A throw was then made to first, and the umpiring crew ruled that Monge had failed to tag up at first base, making it a triple play.
Instead of a run or two, Carson had nothing to show for its best offensive inning to that point.
"She (Burroughs) went on contact," Vickrey said. "I was screaming for her to get back. The next thing I know they're leaving the field.
"I was thinking this was going to be it; we were going to get them right now. That (triple play) was not what I expected to have happen."
The bad luck may have affected the Senators in the sixth, as Carvin, after working out of three big jams in the first five innings, got roughed up a bit.
Ashly Donaldson walked and later came around to score on Cassi Hayden's single. Cherry followed with a homer which was helped immensely by a strong wind to right field. The round-tripper made it 4-0.
Tasha Monsen led off the seventh with a line-drive homer to left center to make it 5-0. Carvin, who fanned nine and walked four, finished the inning without any further damage.
Carson finally got untracked in the seventh.
Jessica Grant was hit by a pitch and moved to second on Hassey's single. Gonzalez forced Hassey at second, Grant taking third. After Monge struck out, Rankl kept the inning alive with a bloop single to right off the glove of Hayden. An error scored Gonzalez with the second run of the inning, but Ellis retired the dangerous Lindsay Farnworth on a pop fly to left to end the game.
Notes: Vickrey was pleased with the glove work of Robyn Conn, who made two nice catches in center and reached base three times batting in the No. 2 spot ... Carson hosts first-place Douglas in a 10 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday. The Senators will honor their three seniors prior to the first game.
CARSON JVS 14, NORTH VALLEYS 13
The Carson junior varsity softball team overcame a 12-0 deficit for the win. Carson scored 11 runs on eight hits, including three doubles, in the third inning. Sharayah Stewart went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI, Jessica Leonard scored three runs and Jennifer Diamond was 2-for-3.
In the third, Lauren Vaccaro, Brittani Dutton, Leonard and Deseree Clampitt were among those who had hits and Stewart, Diamond and Lindsey Gaudreault all had doubles.
Diamond also played solid defense at third, making all three putouts in the fourth. Dutton had a solid game at catcher, throwing out three runs.
Clampitt, who came on in relief in the second, turned in an outstanding effort for the win. With runners and second and third with two outs, shortstop Sarah Evans was able to record the last out to preserve the win.
Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1281.
