Knowles ignites Senators

Jason Knowles drove in two runs, and three pitchers combined on a four-hitter to lead the Carson High baseball team to a 4-1 triumph over Fallon Monday night in the final game of the Carson Preseason Tournament at Ron McNutt Field.

The win improved the Senators' record to 5-1. Carson opens league play this week against Hug.

"I'm happy the way we came out after the Lassen game," first-year Carson coach Steve Cook said, referring to a 3-0 tournament loss again Lassen on Friday night. "The kids showed the right attitude and are buying into the team concept."

Cook used Knowles as an example.

"Knowles gets the big knock, and the next time I pinch-hit for him," Cook said. "Not a word came out of his mouth."

The Senators played small ball for their first run off Fallon's Andy Kamps, a second-team all-league pitcher last year who went the distance in the loss. Carson managed just three hits for the game.

Royal Good hit an infield single and stole second. He advanced to third on Kevin Schlange's fly to right and scored on Logan Parsley's short sacrifice fly to right.

Carson manufactured three runs on just one hit in the second.

After one out, Joe Skates walked and stole second. Jeremiah Teeter was hit by a pitch. Sean Costella followed with a sacrifice bunt that was thrown away at first, scoring Skates and sending Teeter to third. Knowles followed with his two-run double to right-center field to cap the rally.

"I've been swinging well," Knowles said. "He threw me a curveball, a hanging curveball."

Mike Teixeira, who threw the first two innings for Carson and allowed only one hit, gave way to Rob Valerius, who had been called up from the junior varsity team.

Valerius allowed a one-out double to left-center field to Cat Baker, who reached third on the play when Royal Good's relay throw bounced over Schlange's glove. Baker scored on Kamps' roller to short to make it 4-1.

Valerius had a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. Jack Jacquet came on in the final inning (the fifth) and got out of a no-out jam thanks to a double play which saw Keith Blackman, who had singled, slide past the bag at second. The umpires called Mike Cummerow out at first. Jacquet retired Baker to end the game.

"Mike (Teixeira) did an excellent job," Cook said. "He was on a pitch count. In fact, all our pitchers were on a pitch count. Valerius threw two good innings. I'm happy with the way he came in and pitched tonight."

"They were all excellent," said Knowles, who worked the five-inning game behind the plate. "They all threw strikes. Mike came out the first inning and got everybody pumped."

Cook also was happy with the Senators' defense. Schlange handled six chances without an error.

"Defensively, he's top notch," Cook said. "He played outfield for us last year. During the summer he played short which is his natural position. He made great strides this summer (at short). Every ball up the middle we expect him to make a play on."

DAYTON 1, FALLON 0

Neither team collected a hit, but the Dust Devils managed to push across an unearned run in the third inning for the win.

Joe Delaski's sacrifice fly drove in Stephen Owens, who had walked, stole second base and moved to third on a throwing error.

Delaski, a sophomore, teamed with junior Kyle Yoder for the win. Delaski threw the first four innings, striking out two and walking one. Yoder struck out one and walked one in his only inning of work.

Fallon's Cummerow fanned three and walked two in his five-inning stint.

n Darrell Moody can be reached at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281