Just call it a walk-off inside-the-park strikeout.
After Truckee overcame a 6-1 deficit to tie the game 6-6 in the top of the sixth inning, Carson’s 11-year-old all-stars won it in the bottom of the sixth when Caleb Morgan raced around the bases after striking out for a 7-6 win in the District 1 Tournament Thursday at Governors Field.
With the win in its opener, Carson advanced to a winners bracket game at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Morgan led off and swung and missed for strike three, but the ball got past the catcher. After an overthrow to first, Morgan advanced all the way to third and after an overthrow to third came home to score the winning run.
Carson jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring all three runs after there were two outs. After Cooper Eaton walked and advanced to third on two wild pitches, he scored on Ian Fontaine’s infield single. Kai Miller reached on a bunt single and Thomas Young followed with an RBI double. Tyler Palmer and Aden McNabb then walked to force in a run to make it 3-0.
Devon Sanchez manufactured a run in the second when he walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an overthrow to third to give Carson a 4-0 lead.
Carson took a 6-0 led in the fourth on Fontaine’s RBI triple and Fontaine went onto score on a wild pitch.
But Truckee forced a 6-6 tie in the sixth on a three-run triple and a two-run double, only to set up the wild finish.
Starting pitcher McNabb was outstanding, striking out five over three scoreless innings while giving up just one hit. He struggled with his control in the second, walking the bases loaded, but with one out he struck out two straight batters to escape the jam.
Miller got the last two outs, both on strikeouts, for the win. DeCarlo Quintana also doubled and Pedro Orepeza and Palmer each had a hit for Carson.
Carson 12s rally (twice) for win
The Carson 12 team showed a flair for the dramatic in Thursday night’s 13-12 walk-off victory against Centennial A.
The 12s found themselves down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third, before rallying to take a 7-5 lead heading into the 5th. Centennial would rally to take an 8-7 lead in the fifth and then extend the lead to 12-7 going into the bottom of the sixth.
In the sixth, Carson got hits by starting pitcher Dillon Damico and Eddie Tierney, who led off with a double and a single respectively. Wesley Simpson was then walked. Tanner Hunt, who picked up the win in relief, came up to the plate. With Hunt at the plate, Damico would score on a wild pitch, before Hunt delivered a two-run single to cut the lead to 12-10. Cartez March singled and Alan Mayoral singled to score Hunt to make the game 12-11. March scored as Luke Pederson reached on a throwing error to tie the game. A.J. Kunter stepped up to the plate and sent the Carson fans home happy with a game-ending gapper.
Carson showed heart to rally after Hunt gave up five runs in the top of the 6th.
Centennial took a 2-0 lead after one, a 3-0 lead after two and a 5-1 lead after three. Centennial had home runs from Jake Fitzmier and Ethan Gorden. Carson’s run came in the third after Kunter reached and was forced at second on Ashton Davenport’s fielder’s choice. Davenport would score on Simpson’s hit to the outfield that was dropped. An inning later, Carson would get a pinch-hit two-run homer from Trey Thomas to cut the lead to 5-3. Davenport and Damico would both reach and would score after a wild pitch to walk Tierney. Centennial had issues corralling the ball allowing two runs to score and Tierney to end up on third. Centennial would switch pitchers after Josh Jones was removed. Dylan Aduddell came into pitch. He was greeted by Simpson who hit a two-run homer to give Carson the 7-5 lead. Gorden homered in the fifth to tie the game as Centennial took an 8-7 lead. Carson returns to action at 10 a.m. Sunday.
