Wildcats

The eighth was a special inning for Western Nevada College's baseball team on Saturday in Carson City. WNC scored five runs in the eight to pull away from Mount Hood Community College of Gresham, Ore., in a 10-3 win in the opener of a nonconference baseball doubleheader at John L. Harvey Field.

A one-hit shutout by freshman pitcher Kristina George and a three-run homer by Lauren Lesniak carried Western Nevada College to a dominant 7-0 victory over Snow College in the first game of a Scenic West Athletic Conference softball doubleheader on Saturday at Edmonds Sports Complex in Carson City.

Freshman left-hander Matt Young on Friday nearly became the third Western Nevada College pitcher to throw a no-hitter. Young no-hit Mount Hood Community College of Gresham, Ore., until catcher Louis Wolf bunted down the third-base line for the Saints' first hit with two outs in the seventh inning at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City.

Young and reliever Kyle Johnson combined on a two-hit shutout as the Wildcats won the opening game of the doubleheader, 3-0. Both hits never left the infield.

Western Nevada College Softball split a doubleheader with Snow College Friday afternoon. In the first match-up, WNC fell to Snow College 7-1, Dakota Robinson started in the circle. She went five innings, and was replaced by Kristina George. Robinson took the loss for the Wildcats. In the second game, pitcher Nicole Lesniak started for the Wildcats. She went the distance to earn the win. Final score, 7-4 WNC.

It’s a good weekend to be a kid: the Kerak Shrine Circus is in town! Well, it’s in Reno, but that isn’t too far of a drive for elephants, clowns, and cotton candy. Also in Reno, but intended for a slightly older audience, is the Lady Luck Tattoo and Art Expo, coincidentally held at Circus Circus.

For the outdoorsy-types you can join in the March to End Senior Hunger 5K in Dayton; the 5K Glow Run benefitting the Western Nevada College Softball Team; or join a ranger at Washoe Lake State Park for a guided hike.

It’s the International Day of Happiness and I hope song and dance make you happy. Carson City is awash with live music and theater tonight. Local favorite Stereo Galaxy teams up with Southern California performer, Loc Lion, for a show at Sassafras. You’ll find the Remains at Westside Pour House, and Jaime Rollins keeps it rollin at Living the Good Life. Just Sayin’ is this months featured talent in the Brewery Arts Center’s Eclectic Electric Series.

Baseball fans saw something out of the ordinary on Saturday at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City.
Clinging to a two-run lead in the eighth inning, Western Nevada College coach D.J. Whittemore calculatingly shifted his relief pitchers from the mound to left field and first base to preserve a 3-0 victory over Colorado Northwestern Community College in the final game of a Scenic West Athletic Conference baseball series.

There's no secret why DJ Peters is climbing in the Wildcat batting order. Peters, who was hitting seventh in the lineup earlier in the season, has risen to fifth this week.

After a 3-for-3 performance, including a solo home run, in a 7-1 victory of the opening game of a doubleheader against Colorado Northwestern on Friday in Carson City, who knows where the 6-foot-6 right-handed hitter will wind up. Peters knocked in two runs, stole two bases and scored twice to back the four-hit pitching of Ty Fox.

Lauren Lesniak slammed her second grand slam in three weeks, Kristina George tossed a three-hit shutout and Gabriella Canibeyaz doubled twice as Western Nevada College swept a softball doubleheader from Colorado Northwestern on Friday in Rangely, Colo.

Lesniak's 4-for-4 performance at the plate in WNC's 13-0 victory in the opener also included a solo homer and a double. The Wildcats completed the sweep with an 8-6 victory as Canibeyaz went 3 for 4 and Nicole Lesniak shined in relief of starting pitcher Sadee Sorensen.

If you have the kind of luck that brings rain as soon as you wash your car, please drive over to Squeaky’s Car Wash at the corner of Highway 50 E and Lompa Lane. It’s their opening weekend and they are offering free car washes and raising funds for the Carson City Community Counseling Center.

If you consider yourself adventurous, then the Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry in Virginia City is for you. It’s not nicknamed the Testicle Festival for nothing! If you need some liquid courage, take part in the Ball Breaker Saloon Crawl. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade heads down C Street at noon.

Are you ready to paint the town green? St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaches and there will be plenty of Irish action throughout town. The festivities start this weekend with the annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Fest in Virginia City, complete with a parade and saloon crawl.

D.J. Whittemore and his Western Nevada College baseball program hit another milestone Thursday when the Wildcats secured the team's 400th all-time victory by dispatching Colorado Northwestern Community College, 9-6. Now in his 10th season, Whittemore has guided the Wildcats to an average of nearly 44 wins per season.

"To be able to share it with (assistant) Aaron Demosthenes, who is a great friend of mine, tremendously loyal and very talented coach, for him to be here for all 400 wins is really special," Whittemore said.

It’s finally here, Nevada’s Big Give. Nevada’s Big Give is a 24 hour online donation push for non-profits, charities, and causes around the state. Plus, a world record attempt at the longest speech is taking place at the Brewery Arts Center. Ian Hill is raising money for the girls of CPAC soccer; they have been invited to represent the USA in a competition being held during the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada.

It’s finally here, Nevada’s Big Give. Nevada’s Big Give is a 24 hour online donation push for non-profits, charities, and causes around the state.

There’s a good chance that you are viewing this on a phone. I think that Alexander Graham Bell would be blown away with how far his invention had come in the 139 years since he first said ‘Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you’. Today is the birthday of the first telephone call."

The athletics program at Western Nevada College is facing drastic cuts. A group is forming to seek ways to fundraise and keep our Wildcats in the game. Head over to the Legislature Building this morning at 10 a.m.; you’re looking for room 2149.

Finding a way to win games that require a concerted comeback effort is one of many reasons why Western Nevada College coach D.J. Whittemore is on the cusp of his 400th victory with the Carson City baseball program.

Eliminate two big offensive innings for Salt Lake Community College and Western Nevada College played the 18th-ranked Bruins pretty even on Saturday.

The Bruins scored seven runs in the seventh inning to break open a tight game on their way to an 11-2 softball victory and followed that by erupting for eight runs in the second frame in a 10-1 win in game two at Edmonds Sports Complex in Carson City.

By winning both Scenic West Athletic Conference games, the Bruins completed a four-game sweep of the Wildcats, raising their overall record to 17-3.

The Western Nevada College baseball team made a statement Friday afternoon when it grabbed three games from Scenic West Athletic Conference rival Salt Lake Community College at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City.

The initial contest was unfinished business from Thursday’s game that was stopped after 12 innings due to darkness, leaving the teams in a 3-3 tie. WNC captured that win in short order on Friday.

Salt Lake pitcher Chris Bradford opened the 13th inning by striking out two Wildcat batters. Then, Taylor Snyder singled to center field for the Bruins, but was unable to score.

The wine walk is on the top of the weekend to-do list for many of you, but Carson City has a lot more going on. Ascent Runs is hosting a 5/10K and a half marathon at C-Hill on Saturday. You can register at the race, just make sure you aren’t late. Youth Football season has arrived with sign-ups for SYFL and Pop Warner on Saturday. Cheer on the Western Nevada College Wildcats as their Baseball and Softball teams battle against Salt Lake City Community College.

WNC Wildcats baseball resumes at noon today with a double-header at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City. Fans who are unable to attend Wildcat home games can follow Charles Whisnand's play-by-play broadcast of the action by going here.

Meanwhile, in Thursday's baseball action: Hitters don't often receive the sign to hit away on a 3-0 count with their team trailing.

Happy Friday, Carson City. Grab a bite at Meek’s Lumber at their first Friday BBQ for lunch, or at the Lions Club Crab Feed at Fuji Park tonight. Cheer on the Western Nevada College Wildcats as they battle Salt Lake City Community College on the softball and baseball fields.

For the second straight week, weather has caused a switch in playing sites for the Western Nevada College baseball team.

The Wildcats' four-game Scenic West Athletic Conference series with Salt Lake Community College has been moved to John L. Harvey Field in Carson City. Salt Lake City received three inches of snow on Tuesday and cold conditions were forecast until later in the week.

Final-inning comebacks don't ever get old, even for 10th-year Western Nevada College coach D.J. Whittemore.
Even after College of Southern Idaho decisively swung the momentum to its side by scoring the tying run in its last at-bat and forged in front on Mikey Ortega's home run an inning later, the Wildcats didn't flinch Friday in the first game of a Scenic West Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader.

Wildcats Softball opened the 2015 conference season with a triple header against the Golden Eagles of the College of Southern Idaho. The threat of weather looms for the weekend, so getting a jumpstart on the four game series was the goal of Friday's stacked schedule. After dropping the first game 2-11 in five innings, the Wildcats prevailed in the second game, topping CSI 9-8 in overtime.

Keep up the snowy thoughts, Carson City. We desperately need the water, the ski resorts need visitors, and those mountains are so much prettier with a blanket of white. Wildcat Softball on Saturday is weather pending, so it’s too early for me to call it canceled.

“Act out being alive, like a play. And after a while, a long while, it will be true.”
― John Steinbeck, East of Eden

Birthday boy Steinbeck has it right. Carson City is what you make of it; plenty going on, but it won’t come to your home and ask you to get involved. Music, art, theater, dance, hiking, biking, wining, dining, volunteering, sports, and more are available in our area.

Corey Pool homered as Western Nevada College slammed five extra-base hits in defeating College of Southern Idaho, 7-4, in its Scenic West Athletic Conference baseball opener Thursday at John L. Harvey Field in Carson City.
CSI, however, bounced back to take game two, using a small-ball approach that its counterparts have succeeded with in the past. The Golden Eagles beat out three bunt singles and executed two sacrifice bunts to overcome home runs by Pool and Kody Reynolds in an 8-4 victory.

For the first time in the seven-year history of the Western Nevada College softball program, the Wildcats will open their conference season at home. WNC will meet 13th-ranked College of Southern Idaho in doubleheaders scheduled at 1 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, weather permitting, at Edmonds Sports Complex in Carson City. Coach Leah Wentworth said the series starting times could be adjusted if the predicted wet weather moves into the area.

Western Nevada College Baseball hosted Sierra College Wolverines of Rocklin, Calif., Tuesday, for their first home game of the 2015 season. The Wildcats improved to 9-7, topping the Wolverines 15-6. Coach DJ Whittemore gave several of his pitchers a chance on the mound.

DJ Peters started for the Western, he was relieved by Cody Kerns in the top of the third. Ty Fox came in to pitch in the fourth, and Kyle Johnson took over in the fifth. Matt Young pitched in the sixth, followed by Thomas Kerr in the seventh and eighth, and Chase Kaplan closed in the ninth. Peters earned the win.

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.