RENO – Spanish Springs played long ball to come back on Galena and avoid a first-round upset with a 10-6 win at Bishop Manogue on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s huge. It was battle early,” Spanish Springs coach Jeff Davidson said of the win over the seventh-seeded Grizzlies.
The No. 2 Cougars will play No. 6 Reno on Friday at 12:30 p.m. for the right to advance to the DI North regional semifinals, which will be played at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
After Devon Casazza hit a three-run home run in the top of the fifth to give the Grizzlies a 6-4 lead, Regan Hubbard dug in with two outs and one on in the bottom of the fifth. She wrapped a line drive around the left field pole to tie the game.
Hayley Fein threw a 1-2-3 top of the sixth to quickly put the bats in the Cougs’ hands and Courtney Huff did not squander the opportunity. With one out and runners on second and third, Huff sent one well beyond the fence in right center to put the Cougs up 9-6. They added one more on a Fein single and two wild pitches sandwiched around a stolen base.
“Thank God Courtney Huff is swinging a hot bat and made a couple great defensive plays in the hole at short,” Davidson said.
Fein, who allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks in a complete game win, worked around a one-out single to shut the door in the top of the seventh.
“In those middle, late innings, she settled down, was throwing hard, was hitting her spots,” Davidson said. “The offense picked her up today and gave her confidence.”
Jensen blanks Manogue
RENO – Julia Jensen struck out seven in a complete game two hitter as Reed got past Bishop Manogue, 6-0, on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the DI North regional tournament, at Bishop Manogue.
With the victory, the league-champion Raiders advanced to the winner’s bracket where they will play No. 5 McQueen on Friday at 12:30 p.m. The Raiders routed the Lancers, 15-0, last Friday, but that win came three days after a rare 6-2 home loss to the Northwest Reno nine.
Reed belted three home runs in the opening win over the eighth-seeded Miners, two off the bat of senior shortstop Kenzi Goins. The Nevada commit went 3-for-3 with the two round trippers and five RBIs. Ryia Grant also went yard.
Her solo shot in the bottom of the second gave the defending state champs a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Goins hit a two-run home run.
The lead remained 3-0 until Goins hit another two-run shot in the fourth. In the fifth, she drove in the final run of the game, represented by Mackenzie Howren, with an RBI single.
Bishop Manogue leadoff hitter Chelie Senini had both the Miners’ hits.
If Reed gets past McQueen Friday at 12:30 p.m., it will play again at 4:30 p.m. for a spot in the regional title game and a state berth. If Reed falls to McQueen, it will play at 2:30 p.m. in an elimination game.
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