The Raiders wrapped up a perfect 5-0 weekend in the Mike Bearman Memorial Tournament with a pair of one-run home wins over Damonte Ranch and Fernley on Saturday afternoon.
While Reed coach John Phenix was pleased with the hot start on a brutally cold and windy weekend, he was just as happy with the production he got from the bench.
“I love it,” Phenix said. “Winning’s not the only thing in this tournament, experience is. And we put up five different lineups. Everybody played.”
Reed outscored its five opponents, 55-22, and sent seven balls over the fence.
“That’s really good,” Phenix said
With the majority of non-league play now in the books (a three-game home series with Aragon of San Mateo, Calif. March 29-30 remains), the Raiders now prepare for their DI North opener.
They go to North Valleys on Tuesday before finishing the regular-season series with the Panthers at home on Friday. Both contests begin at 3:45 p.m.
Reed 5, Fernley 4
At the time, Tayton and Tanner Clabaugh’s RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth inning felt inconsequential—one last offensive spurt on an explosive weekend at the dish for the Raiders.
They pushed Reed’s lead to 5-1.
However, after three base hits and a pair of errors, Fernley pulled within 5-4 and had the tying run at second base.
Sophomore Levi Sanchez was not phased. He got the next batter to pop up to second, ending the contest and the weekend while knotching a three-inning save.
Sanchez threw the final three innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out four.
“It’s tough to play in this weather, to play third base, then sit, then come in and pitch,” Phenix said. “So I was (happy). He was in the strike zone.”
Jay Guerrero threw the first four innings to pick up the win. He allowed just one run on one hit.
Ryan Murphy broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth that plated Vinnie Fillapone. Ben Peck provided an insurance in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI groundout to second that allowed Parker Houston to score.
Reed 9, Damonte Ranch 8
The Raiders used the long ball all weekend and they did it to pull off a comeback in their first game of the day on Saturday.
Down 8-6 after Jon Pinto led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot, Peck stepped to the dish with runners on first and second and one out. He sent everyone home.
His three-run pinch hit home run on a 2-1 count preserved the Raiders’ perfect start to the season.
Austin Johnson struck one batter out in a scoreless top of the seventh to pick up the win, his second in as many days.
Lincoln Turner was 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and a pair of walks. Pinto was 2-for-3 with the home run and 2 RBIs.
Cougs win final two of Mike Bearman Memorial Tourney
Spanish Springs had no trouble with South Tahoe and before taking care of Douglas in its final two games of the Mike Bearman Memorial Tournament in Carson on Saturday.
With the pair of non-league wins, the Cougars improved to 4-1.
They now prepare for their DI North opener on Tuesday against Bishop Manogue. First pitch is at 3:45 p.m.
Spanish Springs 12, Douglas 8
The Cougars opened up an 8-0 lead after two innings then withstood a Tigers rally late to end their tournament with a four-run win on Saturday afternoon in Carson.
Spanish Springs scored five runs on just one hit in the first inning. It benefited from three walks and an error before Alan Lummel blasted a two-run triple. Lummel was 2-for-2 with the triple and 4 RBIs.
The Tigers scored four runs in the fifth on four hits and two walks to pull within 10-7.
Lummel plated Mason Homsley, pinch running for Josh Prizina, with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to stretch the lead to 11-7.
In the bottom of the sixth, Prizina drove in Daulton O’Connell, who led the inning off with a double, with an RBI single to account for the Cougs’ final run of the afternoon.
Prizina was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and Carson McCusker was 3-for-3 with a double, 3 RBIs and two runs scored.
Derek Stuber grinded through four innings, allowing six runs on seven hits to pick up the win. Casey Miller came out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh with the bases loaded and one out and proceeded to end the game with a strikeout and a groundout, picking up the save.
Spanish Springs 10, South Tahoe 0 (five innings)
The Cougars scored in all five innings and Jordan Santos threw a five-inning no hitter as they rolled over the Vikings in Saturday’s first game at Carson.
It was Spanish Springs’ second win in as many days over South Tahoe, after beating the DI-A North squad 10-2 on Friday at Wooster.
Santos was two walks away from a five-inning perfect game. He struck out four.
Prizina and McCusker both went 3-for-3 in the rout. Prizina smacked three singles and drove in a pair. McCusker had a pair of singles and a double while plating one.
O’Connell was 2-for-3 with a double and 3 RBIs.
Sparks splits a pair
The Railroaders finished their four-game opening weekend in Lovelock with a split against Lowry and Lovelock on Saturday.
With the loss to Lowry and narrow win over Lovelock, the Railroaders are off to a 3-1 start.
Sparks is now done with non-league play and will take more than a week off before opening DI-A North play Friday, March 25 at Lowry for the first contest of a three-game set.
Sparks 3, Lovelock 2 (five innings)
The Railroaders pushed three runs across in the first two innings and then played hang on to finish the weekend with a one-run victory over Lovelock, at Lovelock, on Saturday afternoon.
The game was called after five innings due to time restrictions for the non-league contest.
Matt Longland went the distance for Sparks to pick up the win. He allowed a pair of unearned runs on five hits while striking out five and walking just one.
Sparks was actually outhit 5-4 in the win but made the most of opportunities. Of Sparks four hits, three went for extra bases. Justin Fuentes, Bruce Hicks and Buzzy Boston all ripped two baggers.
Lowry 12, Sparks 0 (five innings)
Sparks suffered its first loss of the season, in deciding fashion, in Saturday’s first game of the day against league rival Lowry.
The Railroaders were outhit 13-2 but trailed just 1-0 after two frames before giving up five runs in third and four in the fourth.
Hunter Nobbs and Braeden Goodnough both went 1-for-2 to account for Sparks’ only hits.
[…] The heroics were nothing new to Peck. Exactly one week ago, Peck gave the Raiders a 9-8 non-league win over Damonte Ranch with a walk-off three-run home run. […]