Dom Mariani, Carson City Little League 10-11 all-star coach, couldn't have asked for a better opening game from his team.
Led by the hitting Brandon Gagnon and Abel Carter, and the pitching of Gagnon and Jerry Thomas, Carson rolled to an easy 15-1 win over Reno Continental Thursday night at Governors Field.
The game was called after four innings because of the 10-run rule. The win also earned a day off. Carson returns to action at 7:30 p.m. Saturday on Field No. 3.
"It's good to come out and beat one of the Reno teams like that," said Mariani. "We had momentum (after the first inning) and it just carried through the entire game. I told the kids it was a team win. We hit the ball well (15 hits) and the pitchers threw well."
Ten of the 11 players on the roster either scored a run or hit safely.
Carson took a 1-0 lead in the first when Gagnon legged out an infield single, moved to third on a double by Thomas and scored on Carter's sacrifice fly to right.
The eventual winners made it 2-0 in the second when Jayson Artz doubled and came around to score on two wild pitches by Reno starter Kurt Pitha.
Carson broke the game open with six runs on seven hits in the top of the third to take an 8-0 lead.
Gagnon singled and moved to second and third on wild pitches. After Thomas grounded out, Carter slammed a two-run homer to right-centerfield. After Daniel Morrison singled, Davis Ault was brought into pitch.
Ault walked Landon Truesdale, and after Artz popped out, Terin Keller singled home a run and Brandon Iwamura followed with a two-run double to make it 7-0. Ethan Good doubled and Gagnon singled in the inning, too.
Reno Continental scored its only run in the bottom of the third on a walk and a throwing error by Artz, who was trying to complete a double play.
Mariani opted to bring Thomas in at the point, and he retired the next two hitters to kept the one-run lead intact.
"He (Gagnon) was right around 35 pitches," Mariani said. "I took him out in case I wanted to use him on Saturday. Jerry did a great job, too."
Carson closed out the game with seven runs on four hits against reliever Myles King. Carter sparked the rally with a leadoff triple, but Daniel Morrison, Truesdale and Gagnon also had hits in the inning. Morrison drove in two runs in the inning with a single and sacrifice fly.
Gagnon went 4-for-4, while Carter went 2-for-2 and Morrison went 2-for-3.
9-10: WASHOE 11, CARSON 0
It was simply a case of too much Cade McNamara.
McNamara tossed a no-hitter against Carson, striking out nine, walking one and hitting a batter. And, McNamara helped himself at the plate with a homer.
The game was called after four innings because of the 10-run rule.
Washoe will play either Reno Continental or Sparks National on Saturday, while Carson battles Carson Valley tonight at 8 on Field No. 3.
McNamara, Elliot Aiden, Jake Polson and Nate Guidara all had run-scoring hits. Zack Jensen and Cameron Carter also hit safely, while Tyler Newcomb added an RBI.
