PREPS: Reno rallies to beat Carson 9-4

On Thursday, the Carson Senators gave one away to Reno. On Saturday, the Huskies took one away from the Senators.

Reno scored six runs after two were out in the top of the seventh to wipe out a 4-3 deficit and grab a 9-4 win in a Northern 4A baseball game at Ron McNutt Field.

The loss was Carson's third straight and dropped the Senators to 7-5 in 4A play heading into next week's tournament at Spanish Springs. Carson opens tournament play Thursday against Head-Royce of Oakland, Calif.

"That's why Reno is Reno," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "We're not there yet. We're striving to get there.

"Colby (Blueberg) threw a great game today. I'm proud of my guys and they way they competed today. They didn't give up. We didn't give the game away, they beat us. We battled, but we just got beat."

Carson now has a week off from league play, and Blueberg feels that the break is needed.

"We need a break," he said, "It's been a mental grind. Next week we'll fix the fundamentals. That's what next week's tournament is all about. We'll come back. Next time we see them we'll have a little fire going."

"I think we'll bounce back just fine," second baseman Brock Pradere said. "We're definitely ready to win as a team."

Carson did a nice job of bouncing back in the sixth, scoring three times to wipe out a 3-1 deficit and take a 4-3 lead.

After one out, Chance Quilling singled to right-centerfield. Quilling moved to third on Rory Petersen's double off the fence and both scored on Adam Whitt's game-tying single to right. Pradere followed with a single, his third hit of the game, to put Carson ahead 4-3.

Pradere started the season hitting at or near the top of the order. Several games ago, he was moved to No. 9, Saturday, he hit in the eighth spot, and Farnworth has been happy with his effort offensively.

"I have more confidence in the box," Pradere said. "Generally you do (see more fastballs hitting lower in the order). I just wanted to put the ball in play in that last at-bat."

And, in the top of the seventh, it looked like Blueberg was going to make that lead stand up after retiring the first two hitters in the seventh.

Up stepped pinch-hitter Colton Hampson, who walked on a close 3-2 pitch, which Blueberg thought was good.

"I thought I threw it right there," Blueberg. " I guess he (plate umpire) thought it was outside."

"That walk was huge to keep the game going," Reno coach Pete Savage said. "Then we got a great offensive approach going."

Garrett Hampson singled, sending Zach Paquette, who re-entered the line-up for Colton Hampson, to second. After the runners advanced on a wild pitch, Tyler McElroy walked to load the bases. R.J. Bush singled up the middle, scoring Paquette and Garrett Hampson.

Blueberg exited in favor of Nick Domitrovich, who surrendered two straight singles, including a two-run single by Grant Kukuk. Drew Moreland came on and gave up a run-scoring single before retiring the side.

"It was just groundball after groundball," Blueberg said of Carson's seventh-inning demise. "They just found the spots. They didn't hit the ball really hard. I felt good today and was hitting my spots."

Carson went out 1-2-3 in the seventh.

"We deserved to win," Savage said. "The kids had a never-say-die attitude and played hard to the end."