Tyler Palmer celebrates his 2-run home run as he rounds the bases in a game against the Reno Continentals on Tuesday.
Two Carson City Little League all-star squads remained alive in District 1 competition, and a third was sent to the consolation bracket Tuesday night at Governors Field.
The 9-10 all-stars scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to wipe out a 3-1 deficit to beat Reno Continental, 5-3, and the 10-11 squad scored three times in the fourth to wipe out a 10-9 deficit and beat Reno Continental, 12-10. The Carson 11-12s yielded five homers and dropped a 12-6 decision to Reno Continental.
All three teams return to action on Thursday. The 9-10s and 10-11s both play at 5 p.m., while the 12s play at 7:30. The best the 12s can do is place third at this juncture.
For four innings, Carson’s Anthony Planeta and Reno’s Mack Edwards were locked in a great pitching match-up. Each team had an unearned run. Carson’s defense turned two double plays and came within an eyelash of a third.
In the fifth, Reno Continental pushed across two runs and knocked Planeta out of the box. Reno had a walk and hit batsman plus singles by Andrew Capel and Ben Scolari. Justin McCraw relieved Planeta and stemmed the uprising.
Carson bounced back with a vengeance, however, scoring four times.
Singles by Tristan Hawkins and pinch-hitter Kincaid Gill keyed Carson’s rally. The locals also cashed in on a wild pitch and a walk.
McCraw, who made several nice plays at shortstop, retired Reno Continental 1-2-3 in the sixth to end it.
McCraw and Austin Garcia led the offense with two hits each, while Planeta, Yaki Glenn, Hawkins and Gill added one hit each.
In the 10-11 game, Tyler Palmer’s two-run homer in the fourth turned out to be the game-winning hit. Carson entered the inning trailing 10-9, and Palmer’s homer made it 11-10. Carson went on to score one more time in the inning,
Palmer, Ian Fontaine and Cooper Eaton led the offense with two hits each. Kai Miller added one.
Once again, the Carson 11-12 team dug itself a hole, trailing 7-1 entering the bottom of the fourth. Carson got some momentum with five runs to make it 7-6, but gave up one in the fifth and four more in the sixth.
Reno Continental scored one in the first on a passed ball and one in thew second on a solo homer by Jake Woodhead off Eddie Tierney, who surrendered three long balls before departing with one out in the fourth and the score 7-1. Ashton Davenport homered in the third for Carson’s only run.
Carson’s offense got untracked against Cal Scolari in the bottom of the fourth.
Max Gunkel walked and scored on a two-run homer by Adam Mayoral. With two outs, Dillon Damico reached on an error. A,J, Kunter singled and Damico scored when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Tierney, who went 3-for-3, followed with a homer to make it 7-6.
Reliever Trey Thomas gave up a run in the fifth, and after an error and walk, gave up a three-run homer to Archie Smith to make it 11-6. A.J. Kunter came on and got two outs before yielding a homer to Nat Cadel to make it 12-6.
Kaden Schuck, the second of two Continental pitchers, struck out the side in the sixth.
Carson’s offense struggled horribly.
Of its 18 outs, 14 came via strikeout. Carson struggled against change-ups and breaking pitches thrown by starter Cal Scolari and Schuck. Reno pitchers struck out the side in four of the six innings.
Kunter, Mayoral and Davenport had one hit apiece to complement Tierney’s three-hit effort.
