Carson baseball splits doubleheader

Logan Parsley delivered not once, but twice, and helped Carson High's baseball team avoid a sweep against Reno.

Parsley went 3 for 4 and drove in four runs to lead the Senators to an 8-5 win over the Huskies in the second game of Friday's doubleheader at Ron McNutt Field.

Carson, which lost 7-4 in the first game, is now 10-5 in Sierra League play. Reno is now 11-4. Carson hosts arch-rival Douglas Thursday at 3:30 p.m., and then travels to Gardnerville for a Saturday doubleheader.

"It was real big," Parsley said. "No one wants to get swept. You want to get at least one win."

Added Carson coach Steve Cook, "You have to let a team know that you can beat them, especially Reno. (Pete) Savage's teams don't make a lot of mistakes. We beat a good Reno team tonight. I was hoping we could get one going into the Douglas series. You feel confident you can beat anybody."

Parsley's first contribution came in the third when he singled home Derek Shoaf, who had reached on an error, and Alex Tanchek, who had walked. Designated hitter Adam Anderson followed with another two-run single, scoring Kevin Schlange, who had reached on an infield single, and Parsley.

Murph Gardner was plunked by Reno starter J.J. Mulligan, who was taken out in favor of John Rice. Brooks Greenlee grounded into a fielder's choice and Sean Costella lined to right to end the inning.

Carson starter Josh Caron, who had worked out of jams in each of the first three innings, ran into problems in the fourth.

Michael Hellen doubled to right and Rice followed with a booming homer to left-center field to make it 4-2. Max Marin followed with a solo pinch-hit homer to right, cutting the lead to 4-3.

Carson came back with four more runs in the fourth to make it 8-2 thanks to a bases-loaded passed ball, a two-run double by Parsley and a run-scoring single by Gardner.

"We scored our runs in bunches," Cook said. "That was uncharacteristic. Usually we score one or two runs at a time."

Nick Smallman relieved Caron and walked the first two batters he faced, and both scored to make it 8-5 thanks to an infield out by Tyler Heil and a single by Mike Leinert.

"He did what Nick usually does; drives us crazy," Cook said. "He settled down the last two innings."

Smallman hit Anthony Stewart with one out in the sixth, but easily retired the next two hitters. In the seventh, he allowed a leadoff single to Robert Read. Heil struck out looking for the first out, and then Hellen lofted a looping line drive that appeared headed for short right field. Costella caught the ball and doubled Read off first to end the game.

RENO 7, CARSON 4

Carson outhit the Huskies 6-5, but eight Reno hitters reached base by either walk or being hit by a pitch.

After there were two outs, Carson took a 1-0 lead in the first when Parsley was hit by a pitch and scored on Anderson's double.

Again after there were two outs, the Senators took a 3-1 lead in the second. Alex Tanchek singled, Royal Good walked, Schlange followed with an RBI single and Parsley and Anderson were both hit by pitches to force in a run.

Down 3-2, Reno took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Kyle Mandoki allowed just three hits over six innings, but struggled with his control in the fifth. He walked the bases loaded. Reno then scored on a sacrifice fly and scored another run on a throwing error on the play, Carson's only error of the game.

Carson closed to 5-4 in the sixth when Tanchek and Good each walked and Schlange followed with an RBI single.

But Joe Skates ran into trouble when he struggled with his control after he came into the game in the seventh. Reno was able to score two runs on the strength of two hit batsmen.

Schlange and Anderson each had two hits and two RBI and Tanchek had Carson's other two hits.