Lariviere draws bases-loaded walk in bottom of seventh to extend season at least one more day
RENO – Malik Lariviere has an oscillating confidence.
That’s understandable given his previous six-year departure from baseball. So, when he stepped in with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh of a 5-5 regional elimination game at Bishop Manogue on Thursday morning, the possible range of results was vast.
After Angelo Reviglio struck out the previous two batters, he threw three consecutive pitches out of the zone to Lariviere. Then he found it three straight pitches, the final of which Lariviere fouled back.
In one of the most intense situations in baseball (elimination game, tie contest, last inning, bases loaded, two outs, full count), Lariviere watched a fastball sail below his knee caps for a walk-off walk, giving the Cougs (23-7) a 6-5 victory over the fifth-seeded Miners.
“He’s a patient hitter. He’s been all year,” Spanish Springs coach Matt Ortiz said. “I think sometimes he’s a little unsure of himself at the plate so he’s been taking a lot of pitches. In that case, it kind of worked out for us.”
The half inning prior presented another high-leverage situation.
Needing a home run for the cycle, already 3-for-3 with four RBIs, Mike Davis stepped the plate with one out and the go-ahead run on first. Ortiz opted to go the bullpen for the first time, bringing on Conner Culp to relive sophomore Trevor French.
French went 6.1 innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on 10 hits while striking out four and walking one. He took a no decision.
“That was a great effort,” Ortiz said. “He gave up a few hits and he just composed himself after that. And we were a little worried about that from a sophomore.”
Culp twice got Davis to chase breaking balls out of the zone for a strikeout before inducing an inning-ending flyout to left. He was awarded the win.
“I think that’s the biggest out of the game,” Ortiz said of Culp’s strikeout.
In his previous at bat, Davis extended the Miners’ one-run lead to 5-2 in the top of the fifth when he belted a two-run triple to center. French alluded further damage with a pair of punch outs.
The Cougs drew even in the home half with a three spot.
Josh Prizina (3-for-4, two RBIs, two runs) blasted a double off the top of the batter’s eye 390 feet away in straightaway center to put runners on second and third with no outs. Dawson Martin plated Marlin Brucato (2-for-4, double, two runs) with a sac fly to right and with two outs, Colton Forman celebrated his birthday with a two-run double to left on a 1-2 off speed pitch.
“That’s the difference right there for us, right?” Oritz said. “He (Forman) has been doing it all year. He’s not somebody that’s super flashy … But every single at bat you can count on a good at bat. He’s Mr. Dependable for us in the outfield and at the plate.”
Forman’s knock was rare in that spot for the Cougars, who finished 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position after going 2-for-9 in Wednesday’s home loss to Galena.
The contest started frantically with the Miners pushing three across in the top of the first and the Cougars answering right back with two. That score held until Davis’ two-run triple in the fifth.
Bishop Manogue starting pitcher, freshman Rylan Charles, absorbed a no decision. He went five innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits. He struck out three and did not issue a walk.
Charles was the second straight freshman to start against the Cougars after Galena’s Nolan Craddock beat them less than 24 hours prior in a spot start.
“That’s poor on our part not taking advantage of that situation,” Ortiz said. “But at the end of the day, that’s not the storyline (losing to a pair of freshmen) and I’m glad.”
Spanish Springs will again face elimination on Friday at 4 p.m. in Carson against (McQueen or Damonte Ranch). With a win, they would immediately play (Galena or Reno) for a spot in the 4A North title game on Saturday at Bishop Manogue.
4A North semifinal
Galena 10, Reno 3
4A North elimination games
Spanish Springs 6, Bishop Manogue 5
Damonte Ranch 5, McQueen 1
Friday schedule (at Carson)
No. 2 Spanish Springs – No. 7 Damonte Ranch 4 p.m.
Spanish Springs/Damonte Ranch – No. 1 Reno 7 p.m.
Softball
Jensen silences Carson
RENO – Senior Julia Jensen started Reed’s run at a potential fifth-straight regional title on a positive note Thursday afternoon at Bishop Manogue.
Jensen struck out 12 and allowed a lone earned run on three hits as the Raiders (31-2-1) rolled eighth-seeded Carson 7-2 for their 26th consecutive win.
“We played Carson four times (before) so there’s a lot a familiarity,” Reed coach Jon Wunder said. “What we really wanted to do was come out and strike early and we did that. It’s always nice to get that first win under your belt.”
Jessica Sellers and Allie Hughes led off the bottom of the first with consecutive doubles to give the Raiders a 1-0 edge. Rheanna Smith made the score to 2-0 with an RBI single to right
Hughes finished 3-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI and pair of runs scored. Smith was 2-for-3 with two runs driven in.
The Senators pushed an unearned run across in the top of the second only for the Raiders to add two more in home half of the second on a Sellers triple.
The 4-1 score held until the bottom of the fifth when Jensen backed up a Hughes triple with an RBI double to center. Smith didn’t let Jensen sit there long, immediately driving her in with a single to center. A throwing error brought the final run home.
Freshman Kailee Luschar started Carson’s half of the sixth with a solo home run to dead center.
Lauren Lemburg went the distance for the Senators (11-22). Six of the seven runs she allowed were earned on 11 hits.
Reed will play fourth-seeded Damonte Ranch (19-10) on Friday at 12:30 p.m. (at Bishop Manogue) for a spot in the regional semifinals. The Mustangs scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh in their first game against McQueen to walk off with a 4-3 win.
The Raiders beat the Mustangs 6-1 and 3-1 in the regular season.
“They’re a good team. We’ve had close games with them,” Wunder said. “They got some kids that can stroke the ball, so we’re going to have to bring our A-game, that’s for sure.”
Spanish Springs staves off early elimination
The Cougars scored six times in the bottom of the fourth to come back from down 5-2 and bounce Douglas, 11-6, in the 4A North regional tournament loser’s bracket at Bishop Manogue on Thursday afternoon.
Freshman Tyra Clary took over in the top of the second with Spanish Springs (27-8) trailing 5-0 and allowed one run over the final 5.1 innings on seven hits to pick up the win.
Rylee Retzer was 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the bottom of the second that put the Cougs on the board for the first time. Her bomb was Spanish Springs’ only extra base hit.
The six-run fourth featured four singles, a walk and a passed ball.
Spanish Springs will play the loser of Reed and Damonte Ranch at 2:30 p.m. on Friday at Bishop Manogue in another elimination game.
Reno 6, Spanish Springs 1
RENO – Anja Weiss held Spanish Springs to just four hits over the first 6.1 innings and dealt the Cougars a 6-1 loss in the first round of the 4A North regional tournament on Thursday afternoon at Bishop Manogue.
It was sixth-seeded Reno’s first win over third-seeded Spanish Springs, falling twice to the Cougars last week.
Before Retzer belted a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to break up the shutout and end Weiss’ afternoon, the defending state champs advanced just two runners past first base.
Reno had far more success offensively, putting consistent pressure on Spanish Springs’ defense (which committed four errors) with 16 hits – including four two-out singles in the top of the sixth that stretched a 3-0 lead to 6-0. Weiss started the scoring when she drove a full-count pitch through the left side of the infield with the bases juiced for a two-run single. Makena Young followed with an RBI single to center.
Shelby Zucco deposited a two-run home far beyond the fence in left to give the Huskies a 3-0 lead in the top of the second. Two errors on a single play gave the Huskies’ their first run in the top of the first.
Clary started in the circle for the Cougs and went 3.1 innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits. She struck out two and did not walk anybody. Another freshman, Kaylah House, threw the final 3.2 innings in relief. All three runs she allowed were earned on six hits with three strikeouts.
Reno (16-16) will play second-seeded Bishop Manogue (28-5) on Friday at 12:30 p.m. for a spot in the semifinals.
4A North first round
Reed 7, Carson 2
Reno 6, Spanish Springs 1
Damonte Ranch 4, McQueen 3
Bishop Manogue 9, Douglas 6
4A North elimination games
Spanish Springs 11, Douglas 6
McQueen 5, Carson 4
Friday winner’s bracket (at Bishop Manogue)
Game one: No. 1 Reed – No. 4 Damonte Ranch 12:30 p.m., Field 1
Game two: No. 2 Bishop Manogue – No. 6 Reno 12:30 p.m., Field 2
Game one winner – Game two winner 4:30 p.m., Field 1
Friday loser’s bracket (at Bishop Manogue)
Game one: Bishop Manogue/Reno loser – No. 4 McQueen 2:30 p.m., Field 2
Game two: Reed/Damonte Ranch loser – No. 3 Spanish Springs 2:30 p.m., Field 1
Game one winner – Game two winner 4:30 p.m., Field 2
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