RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
POSTED: May. 13, 2012
For the first two and a half innings of Saturday’s Northern 4A Regional championship game at Bishop Manogue, the Reno High and McQueen baseball teams circled each other like wary boxers looking for an opening.
Then Reno landed a haymaker in the bottom of the third.
The Huskies sent 12 batters to the plate in the third — nine before an out had been recorded — and circled the bases in dizzying fashion, scoring nine runs on eight hits and two walks. Two innings later, Reno played for just a single run and ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule when Grant Kukuk singled to score pinch runner Chad Savage from third to give the Huskies a 10-0 win and the regional title.“Our guys competed hard in the box, and we got some breaks and took advantage of some opportunities,” Reno coach Pete Savage said. “Every base is important, especially in a playoff game, where you never know what run or what base is going to be important.
McQueen is a team that is very talented, and we respect them. They are a dangerous and talented ballclub. So I was proud of the way our guys competed and kept competing.”When Saturday’s game began, it looked like it was McQueen that might get in the first punch. Reno starting pitcher Vinnie Koci found himself in trouble early, giving up a leadoff single to Nick Agliolo and later watching Anthony Calton reach first base on a dropped third strike. But Agliolo was gunned down by Reno catcher Kevin Wallace on a steal attempt and a later walk issued to Kody Reynolds ended up doing no damage. In all, McQueen had four baserunners in the first, with only one reaching second base.
“I have a great defense behind me, so I knew my teammates would help me out and we could get out of it,” Koci said. “I was just trying to throw strikes and let my defense take care of things and make plays.”
Koci settled into a rhythm after his first-inning adventure, retiring the side in order in the final four innings. Pitcher Logan Comphel was the only McQueen hitter to reach base in that span — on a sharp infield one-hopper in the third — and he was quickly picked off.
“Baseball is a game that teaches you adversity and how to overcome adversity, and he was able to do that,” Savage said of Koci. “He got out of that with no runs, and when you can minimize the damage like that when they have guys in scoring position, that’s just good pitching.”
McQueen, the Northern 4A regular-season champion, was unable to respond in like fashion when the wheels began to come off in the third. After Kukuk was intentionally walked to load the bases with the score still at 0-0, Reno’s R.J. Bush began the scoring parade with an RBI single that plated leadoff hitter Garrett Hampson. From there, the Huskies could seemingly do no wrong, reaching base on a variety of hits, another walk and even a bunt single.“We were in it, but I think we got a little complacent,” McQueen coach Carlos Madrid said. “This is kind of rare territory for McQueen to be in, with a state berth already in order, and I feel like a lot of our guys were able to accept that instead of pushing and striving for more. Once it started to hit the fan, we didn’t know how to respond to that.” , and Reno is a good team that makes a living off putting pressure on teams.”
Both teams qualified for next weekend’s 4A state tournament at Peccole Park. The Huskies will open Thursday against Sunrise Region champion Coronado; the Lancers will face Sunset Region winner and six-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman.
For the first two and a half innings of Saturday’s Northern 4A Regional championship game at Bishop Manogue, the Reno High and McQueen baseball teams circled each other like wary boxers looking for an opening.
Then Reno landed a haymaker in the bottom of the third.
The Huskies sent 12 batters to the plate in the third — nine before an out had been recorded — and circled the bases in dizzying fashion, scoring nine runs on eight hits and two walks. Two innings later, Reno played for just a single run and ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule when Grant Kukuk singled to score pinch runner Chad Savage from third to give the Huskies a 10-0 win and the regional title.
“Our guys competed hard in the box, and we got some breaks and took advantage of some opportunities,” Reno coach Pete Savage said. “Every base is important, especially in a playoff game, where you never know what run or what base is going to be important. McQueen is a team that is very talented, and we respect them. They are a dangerous and talented ballclub. So I was proud of the way our guys competed and kept competing.”
When Saturday’s game began, it looked like it was McQueen that might get in the first punch. Reno starting pitcher Vinnie Koci found himself in trouble early, giving up a leadoff single to Nick Agliolo and later watching Anthony Calton reach first base on a dropped third strike. But Agliolo was gunned down by Reno catcher Kevin Wallace on a steal attempt and a later walk issued to Kody Reynolds ended up doing no damage. In all, McQueen had four baserunners in the first, with only one reaching second base.
“I have a great defense behind me, so I knew my teammates would help me out and we could get out of it,” Koci said. “I was just trying to throw strikes and let my defense take care of things and make plays.”Koci settled into a rhythm after his first-inning adventure, retiring the side in order in the final four innings. Pitcher Logan Comphel was the only McQueen hitter to reach base in that span — on a sharp infield one-hopper in the third — and he was quickly picked off.
“Baseball is a game that teaches you adversity and how to overcome adversity, and he was able to do that,” Savage said of Koci. “He got out of that with no runs, and when you can minimize the damage like that when they have guys in scoring position, that’s just good pitching.”
McQueen, the Northern 4A regular-season champion, was unable to respond in like fashion when the wheels began to come off in the third. After Kukuk was intentionally walked to load the bases with the score still at 0-0, Reno’s R.J. Bush began the scoring parade with an RBI single that plated leadoff hitter Garrett Hampson. From there, the Huskies could seemingly do no wrong, reaching base on a variety of hits, another walk and even a bunt single.“We were in it, but I think we got a little complacent,” McQueen coach Carlos Madrid said. “This is kind of rare territory for McQueen to be in, with a state berth already in order, and I feel like a lot of our guys were able to accept that instead of pushing and striving for more. Once it started to hit the fan, we didn’t know how to respond to that.” , and Reno is a good team that makes a living off putting pressure on teams.”Both teams qualified for next weekend’s 4A state tournament at Peccole Park. The Huskies will open Thursday against Sunrise Region champion Coronado; the Lancers will face Sunset Region winner and six-time defending state champion Bishop Gorman.