Douglas softball sweeps Carson

Carson High did its damage in the first innings of each game of a doubleheader at Douglas High Friday afternoon, but the Tigers were able to take care of business through the remainder of the day to pick up a sweep of the Senators.

Douglas got fairly solid production throughout its lineup, with every player in the starting lineup reaching base at least once during the day as the Tigers picked up 4-1 and 8-2 victories against the Senators.

"They executed what they were supposed to do," said Tom Keck, who stepped in to coach the team after Jim Puzey resigned Thursday. "A lot of kids stepped up that don't normally hit, and I was just real happy for them."

Kellei Kizer led the way for the Tigers, striking out 18 batters over the two games and throwing a total of 12 scoreless innings on the day.

"Kellei had a phenomenal day," Keck said. "She was really on her game."

Lauren Hoppe was 4-for-6 with two doubles and an RBI and Jessie Kizer was 4-for-8 with two runs scored and an RBI to lead the Tigers at the plate. In game two, Val Smith went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI and Jolie Kizer went 2-for-2 with an RBI.

Kayla Dunn drew six walks on the day, two of them intentional, but her teammates were able to make the Senators pay, bringing her across the plate three times.

"We've been beat by her before," Carson coach Scott Vickrey said of Dunn. "I told her after the game that it's nothing personal at all, more of a sign of respect. Our spot in zone depended on these games."

Carson must now wait to hear the results of the Reno-Wooster doubleheader. If Reno wins both games, Carson gets in to regionals. If Wooster wins one, Wooster goes to the playoffs and Carson stays home.

"There's no bigger fan of Reno than us right now," Vickrey said.

Carson got a superb pitching performance from Mandy Carvin, who struck out six, walked two and kept the Tigers hitless through three innings in game one.

The Senators scooted a run across in the top of the first after Christa Casci got hit by the first pitch of the game. She was sacrificed to third by Dacey Hassey and later scored as Candice Rutledge reached on an error.

Hoppe led off the fourth with a double, moved to third on a Jessie Kizer bunt and crossed home after Skyler Zulian reached on an error.

The Tigers manufactured three more runs in the fifth to take the win.

Carvin, who threw against North Valleys Thursday, started game two but simply ran out of gas in the third as Douglas pushed three runs across and followed with four runs in the fourth.

"Mandy really laid it all out there in the first game," Vickrey said. "That was a tough game, and I just told to go as far as she could go in the second. The needle was past empty by the time she came out. She gave it everything she had today."

Carson opened the second game with a two-run first inning which saw three doubles for the Senators from Christa Casci, Candice Rutledge and Hassey.

"They were fired up," Vickrey said. "They'd seen Kizer the fourth time through by that point. They were starting to time here a little bit and we got hot."

Keck said he was just happy to be able to be along for the ride as the Tigers take a 23-8, 11-3 record into the regional tournament next week.

"When I first met with the girls, I told them that it's about them and about where they want to go," Keck said. "All I'm going to do is go out there and support them as much as I can.

"I just want them to have fun, that's what it's about. I have a lot of confidence in them, and if they want to win, it's in their hands."