Douglas' Jasmine McNinch throws the ball into the infield during Saturday's state championship game against Spanish Springs.
RENO — Tyra Clary turned in a gutsy seven-hit complete game pitching performance on Saturday morning to help the Spanish Springs Cougars on their way to a 6-2 win against the Douglas Tigers in the NIAA 4A State Softball Tournament championship game.
Spanish Springs (33-3) scored five runs in the fifth and sixth innings and then held off a comeback bid by Douglas (24-13-1) in the seventh at Bishop Manogue High School. This is the Cougars’ fifth state title since 2007.
Douglas was 0-4 against Spanish Springs in the region and state tournaments, however, the Tigers held leads in three straight games before Saturday’s final.
Give credit to Clary, a sophomore who compiled a 28-1 record this season on her way to earning Northern 4A Pitcher of the Year honors for the second straight year.
There were more than a few anxious moments in the first inning after Clary was hit in the shin by a sharply-hit ball off the bat of Douglas senior Chloie Pratt. The hit went for a single, however, the Tigers had their lead runner on the play thrown out at third for the inning-ending out.
Clary remained on the ground for about two minutes and walked gingerly as she was assisted by coaches back to the dugout. Ice was applied on the leg while the Cougars hit in the bottom half of the inning, and Clary returned to pitch in the second.
Casey Peck doubled and Alyssa Smokey singled to start the second, however, Clary settled down to retire the side on two strikeouts and a comebacker.
Spanish Springs moved out front in the bottom half of the inning on Kilee Pender’s two-out, bases loaded single to right field.
Pender hit another RBI single and Courtney Huff hit a two-run double in the sixth when the Cougars scored three times to extend their lead to 6-0.
Douglas threatened in the seventh when Peck was hit by a pitch, Smokey singled and Amanda Hoffman walked to load the bases with no outs. One run scored as the Cougars turned a groundball double play and Kendal Moore followed with an RBI single to right field before Clary closed out the game on a fly out to Amidori Anderson in left field.
Hoffman started in the pitcher’s circle for Douglas and allowed three runs on five hits over 4.1 innings before Deztiny Vaughan came out of the bullpen.
SWIMMING
Carson boys tie for 7th
LAS VEGAS — Brett Kolb finished third in the 100 free (47.95) and the Senator boys were third in the 400 free relay en route to a tie for seventh at the 4A NIAA State Swimming and Diving Championships at UNLV on Saturday.
Carson had 26 points. Green Valley won the event with 94 points. The CHS girls had 5 points.
Matteas Klatt had a seventh-place finish in the 500 free with a 4:56.40. The Senators were eighth in the 200 medley relay with a 1:32.98.
Nicole Van Geel was eighth in the 50 free, clocking a 25.64. The CHS girls were seventh in the 400 free relay with a 3:53.60.
