Wildcat Dakota Robinson fires a pitch to a Colorado Northwestern Community College player Friday afternoon at Edmonds Sports Complex in Carson City.
RANGELY, Colo. — Western Nevada College found the tonics Friday to end a four-game road losing streak: a prolific first inning and one tough out in Kody Reynolds.
The Wildcats scored four times in the first en route to an 11-4 Scenic West Athletic Conference baseball victory over Colorado Northwestern Community College.
“It all came together today,” coach D.J. Whittemore said. “The offense kept scoring and the defense played great baseball. I believe it was the first time in 20 games we didn’t make an error.
“The return of Corey (Pool) was big. He made two excellent plays at first base, turning bad throws into outs, so he provided a big lift. The wind was blowing. He hit two balls hard and didn’t have much to show for it.”
Reynolds, Pool and Austin Andrews provided RBI singles in the Wildcats’ first at-bat after the team made a 766-mile road trip from Carson City.
Reynolds finished with one of the most productive days at the plate in program history, going 6 for 6 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Pool, a sophomore first baseman, returned to the lineup after missing the Wildcats’ previous nine games — eight of them losses. Pool, who leads WNC with seven home runs, went 1 for 4 with an RBI.
The Spartans rallied for three runs against WNC surprise starter D.J. Peters in the third inning, but the Wildcats reeled off seven unanswered runs to take a commanding 11-3 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
After relieving Peters in the third, freshman Kyle Johnson, a Douglas High School graduate, frustrated the Spartan hitters. Johnson allowed just one hit through the sixth to earn his first victory in a Wildcat uniform.
In his most extended outing of the season, Johnson finished with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He gave up four hits and one earned run, and the Wildcats went error-less behind their three hurlers.
Peters, making his second start, gave up four hits, three earned runs and two walks. Kyle Thompson made his third relief appearance, working a perfect ninth.
In WNC’s three-run fourth, Reynolds and Tim Lichty each drove in a run with a base hit. The final run of the inning came home when an executed double steal sent Peters across the plate.
The Wildcats went ahead 8-3 in the fifth when Jake Bennett’s triple to right field brought home Bradley Lewis. It was Bennett’s fourth triple of the season, tying him with Peters for the team lead.
Reynolds knocked in his third run of the day in the sixth. His bunt single scored Peters from third base. In the eighth, WNC pushed two more runs across the plate to build an 11-3 lead. Reynolds and Jon Guzman scored the runs.
Carson City’s Luke Maher doubled and scored the Spartans’ final run in the eighth.
Lewis and Bennett each totaled two of the Wildcats’ 14 hits, while Andrews and Bennett knocked in two runs apiece.
WNC raised its overall record to 25-20, including 12-13 in the SWAC. CNCC is 14-25 overall and 7-18 in the SWAC.
The four-game series continues today with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Fallon blanks Dayton
FALLON — The Dust Devils managed just singles by Jesse Schmidt and Marcos Saylor in dropping a 10-0 decision to Fallon in a Northern Division 1A game on Friday.
The game was called after five inning because of the mercy rule.
“Alex Mendez threw the best we’ve seen,” DHS coach Mike Burrows said. “Hopefully we can get some offense going.”
The teams play a doubleheader today starting at 11 a.m.
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
Carson Invitational today
The annual Carson Invitational has more than 25 schools invading the Jim Frank Track & Field Complex for the annual meet.
Field events start at 9 a.m, and running events start at 9:30.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
UNLV tops Wolf Pack
RENO — Junior Megan Sweet went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI and sophomore Raquel Martinez had an RBI single but it wasn’t enough as Nevada softball fell into an early hole and could not get out of it in its 10-5 loss to UNLV on Friday afternoon.
Senior Megan Dortch (4-9) took the loss for the Pack while sophomore McKenna Isenberg tossed 4.2 innings of relief and blanked the Rebels in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings that helped keep the Pack in the game.
The Rebels jumped on the Pack early to take a 7-0 lead only to see Nevada trim it to 7-5 in the fourth.
A three-run home run in the top of the seventh gave the Rebels some breathing room and a 10-5 lead that helped seal the victory in the series-opener.
First pitch for the second game of this weekend’s Governor’s Series clash is set for 1 p.m. today at Hixson Park.
