Steve Sneddon
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
5/15/2004
In some dark corner of Zunini Field, the Reno High Huskies found their bats, the big sticks.
The Huskies used a nine-run first inning and then five home runs to roll to a 15-2 victory over McQueen in a Northern 4A Baseball Regional game that was mercifully cut to five innings by the 10-run rule Friday night.
The win avenged the 4-3 loss the Huskies suffered to McQueen in the first round Wednesday and moved Reno into another game against the Lancers at noon today at Ron McNutt Field in Carson City. The winner will play Reed for the regional title at 3 p.m. today.
“It was a little better approach offensively today,” said Reno coach Pete Savage. “The kids came out with more of a focus and played a good team game.”
The Huskies managed only two hits in Wednesday’s loss to McQueen and 10 hits in Thursday’s win over Spanish Springs, but only two of the 10 had been for extra bases. In Friday’s first game, Reno collected 13 hits, including home runs by Procter Hug and starting pitcher Matt Lienert, in a 12-8 elimination-game victory over Carson.
The Huskies rapped 16 hits in the second game over McQueen with Ryan Simpson, Jake Johnson, Drew Johnson, Steve Mays and Trevor Womack all hitting solo home runs.
But the Huskies did the real damage in the first inning without the aid of a home run as they picked up where they left off in the Carson win as they overcame Senator star Willie Bowman hitting three home runs in the game.
“They (the Huskies) were very enthusiastic. They had confidence,” said McQueen coach Brian Nelson. “They’re a good team plain and simple.”
Nelson minimized the impact Reno’s lopsided win will have on today’s rematch.
“I told the kids, ‘It’s yesterday’s news.” Nelson said. “We’ll show up and be ready to play.”
In the first inning Friday, the Huskies had timely hitting, but two wild pitches by starting and losing pitcher Frank Phillips advanced runners, who later scored.
The Lancers also could’ve gotten out of the first inning behind only 3-0, but Kyle Bertelson’s high pop fly that dropped between the tightly grouped shortstop, second baseman and center fielder went for a two-run double and kept the inning going.
“We didn’t take care of the baseball. When you don’t do that it comes back to bite you in the rear end,” Nelson said. “A nine-spot in the first inning wasn’t on our itinerary.”
Reno’s starting pitcher John Wallace, who picked up the victory with one-hit, four-inning pitching, had two hits as 12 Huskies went to the plate. He capped the inning with a two-run triple.
Neither Savage nor Nelson had made their up their mind on their starting pitchers for today’s noon game. Savage is expected to use ace Jeff Schoenbachler, who took the loss in the first game against McQueen, sometime today, but wouldn’t commit on a starter.
“It’ll be our whole staff. Our whole staff will be called on (today),” Nelson said. “I can’t wait to get down there. It’ll be exciting.”
For Savage, it’s another test for his experienced team.
“We play a lot of games as a team,” Savage said. “We’ll be excited (today).”
The Huskies’ victory over Carson that started the day was an emotional game as the Senators’ Ron McNutt closed out a 29-year coaching career.
The Huskies and Lienert, who pitched 51/3 innings and picked up the victory, had to contend with Bowman and his blasts over the left-field fence. Lienert gave up all three of Bowman’s homers, but helped himself at the plate going 3-for-4 with four RBIs.
“I just think it was our ability to score runs every time they did,” Savage said. “Then, we were able to capitalize on some mistakes.”