Wildcats softball team deserves praise for its run

Kudos to Western Nevada College’s softball team for its nice playoff run.

Faced with elimination after losing 10-6 to North Idaho College in the opener, WNC beat Colorado with a seventh-inning walk-off homer and then spanked Snow College, a team that WNC had little success with in the regular season, in its second elimination game. WNC’s run ended with a heartbreaking 5-4 loss to College of Southern Nevada on a seventh-inning walk-off homer.

Katilyn Covione, Madi Gonzalez and Heather Septon were all-Scenic West Athletic Conference second-team selections. Gonzalez hit .340 with a team-leading 53 hits and 28 runs scored, which was second-best on the team. Septon hit six homers and drove in 29 runs, including seven in one game on Senior Day. Covione hit .314 with 23 RBI. Covione has been WNC’s best and most powerful hitter down the stretch. She had nine homers, including three in the postseason tournament.

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Congratulations to Cara McCarthy, WNC’s first baseman/designated player, who will continue her education at Nyack College in New York. Nyack is a Division II school. McCarthy hit .329 as a freshman in 2013, then suffered a season-ending elbow injury which required two surgeries. She appeared in 41 games this year and hit .255.

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Two former Carson High softball players reached postseason playoffs with their schools.

Lisa Yamamoto’s Linfield squad went 0-2 in the regionals, losing a pair of one-run games. Yamamoto went 0-for-3 in the first game and went 0-for-0 with a walk in the second contest. Linfield finished the season with a 34-9 record. Daria Leid’s Wesleyan squad starts post-season play Monday in Oklahoma. Leid has been the team’s best pitcher down the stretch.

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After watching the Division I track regionals on Saturday at Carson, I have to wonder whether the ara coaches and officfials will ever come to their senses. The regionals should be a two-day affair (Thursday and Saturday or Friday and Saturay). It doesn’t need to be stretched out over two weeks. I know Carson coaches/athletic admnistrators feel that way. This is a Washoe County thing, and those people really need to get a clue soon. Several track officials I talked to admitted that the Carson track facility is the best in Northern Nevada. Of course, that’s no secret to me or anybody associated with the CHS program. I implore the NIAA and member schools to make this a permanent state and regional site — soon.