WNC Baseball: Six-Run Seventh Dooms Wildcats

After permitting just one run in 25 innings over four games, Western Nevada College gave up six runs in a game-turning seventh inning on Saturday in Henderson.
Brandon Eyring stroked a tiebreaking two-run single and Hadley Thorpe smashed a three-run homer as Utah State University Eastern rallied for a 6-3 nonconference baseball victory over the Wildcats of Carson City.

"When you don't extend leads and let teams hang around, sometimes they come back to bite you," said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore. "Generally, it was uninspired play. We didn't swing the bats great and gave up some outs on the base paths."

It was only the fifth victory all time for Eastern Utah against WNC and the Golden Eagles first of the season against six defeats.

Golden Eagles left-hander Dakota Carlson handcuffed the Wildcats for seven innings, scattering five hits.
But in the eighth, the Wildcats mounted a rally as Austin Andrews hit a leadoff single to center field and scored on Jake's Bennett's triple. Carlson, however, battled back to fan Kody Reynolds and Corey Pool before Bradley Lewis hit a RBI single to right field to score Bennett and pull WNC to within 6-3.

A pinch-hit single by DJ Peters brought Tim Lichty to the plate as the possible tying run, but Thorpe came on in relief to extinguish the rally with a fly out. In earning the win, Carlson gave up nine hits in 7 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out six.

"It was their starting pitcher who beat us. He changed speeds really well," Whittemore said.

Andrews, Bennett and Lewis each delivered two hits. In going 2 for 4, Bennett extended his streak of reaching base to 15 games. He's also produced at least one hit in 14 of WNC's 15 games.

The Wildcats ran themselves off the bases several times. With the teams scoreless the fifth inning, Lewis singled and Parker Woodley walked with one out. After a Riley Ingram fly out, Woodley was thrown out trying to get back to first base on a double-steal attempt.

Brogan Secrist walked with one out in the sixth but was thrown out trying to swipe second base. The erased baserunner proved costly when Andrews followed with a triple. Carlson got out of the jam by getting Bennett to pop up to second base.

Kyle Johnson, a Douglas High School product, started for the Wildcats, allowing two hits in four shutout innings. He struck out two and walked one.

Thomas Kerr relieved Johnson to start the fifth and worked two perfect innings.

Following a Reynolds groundout to start the Wildcat sixth, Corey Pool walked, then stole second base. Following a strikeout by Lewis, Carlson uncorked a wild pitch, enabling Pool to cross the plate to snap the scoreless tie.
WNC missed several other scoring opportunities. Pool lined out to center field after Bennett and Reynolds singled with two outs in the first.

In the second, Ingram doubled down the left-field line, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. But Blake Morin lined out to third base to end the scoring threat.

After Jon Guzman (0-1) replaced Kerr on the mound in the seventh, Eastern Utah orchestrated its winning rally. Greg Money hit a single through the left side and went to second on Austin Geurtsen's sacrifice bunt. An error by Reynolds allowed Taylor Nielson to reach base and Shaun Petersen's single loaded the bases. The Wildcats looked as if they might get out of the jam when Guzman retired Kelby Landon on an infield fly, but Cooper Thorpe's base hit tied the score at 1 and Eyring's single to center plated two runs for a 3-1 Golden Eagle lead. Hadley Thorpe capped the six-run rally with a three-run homer off reliever Cody Kerns.

"He put a great swing on an inside fastball," Whittemore said.

The Wildcats (8-7) were seeking their third straight win after dropping five straight. It was their final nonconference game before the start of Scenic West Athletic Conference play at College of Southern Idaho on Thursday. Unfavorable weather conditions in Twins Falls, however, could move the series to Carson City.

"It's a great accomplishment to be 8-7 right now," Whittemore said. "That was as tough of a nonconference schedule as anyone has played in the country and to still come out above .500, that is a really good accomplishment."