Carson City’s WNC softball goes 1-2

Western Nevada College opened its Scenic West Athletic Conference season by dropping two of three games to nationally ranked College of Southern Idaho at Edmonds Sports Complex.

CSI won the opener, 11-2, and the third game, 20-10. The losses were five-innning mercy rule affairs. WNC took the middle game, 9-8, in extra innings.

Originally, the teams were supposed to play two games Friday and two today. The teams decided to play three Friday because of impending bad weather. According to WNC officials, the team will attempt to finish the series today at 1 at the Edmonds Sports Complex.

“The team continues to show a ton of heart and they never quit,” coach Leah Wentworth said.

“We gave up some unearned runs which could’ve kept us in the games a couple more innings. We need to give our offense an opportunity to keep swinging the bats. Overall I was really impressed with the way the team played and tomorrow is a new day.”

The Wildcats’ heart showed in the middle game.

Trailing 8-4 entering the seventh, the Wildcats rallied and tied the game at 8 on Lauren Lesniak’s grand slam. Melanie Mecham walked and Kacie Freudenberger and Bri Carter singled to load the bases, setting the stage for Lesniak’s big hit.

After holding CSI scoreless in the top of the eighth, WNC won it in the bottom of the inning.

Dakota Robinson walked and Makaylee Jaussi reached on an error. Freudenberger followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to win the game.

“That was a big win and I think it was a huge advantage to be in those extra-inning situations in pre-season,” Wentworth said.

In the opener, CSI scored three in the first and put it away with six runs in the fifth inning.

Mecham drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first, and drove in a run to make it 5-2. That set the stage for the six-run inning which ended the game.

CSI scored two in the first in the third game, and WNC bounced back with one when Jaussi doubled, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

The Golden Eagles got the lead up to 10-2 after three. Mecham scored WNC’s second run on a single by Lesniak.

In the top of the fourth, WNC allowed CSI to score six runs to make it 16-2. Robinson and Covione led off with solo home runs to make it 16-4. Triniece Lesky was hit by pitch, and Jaussi homered to bring the score to 16-6. Robinson later added a two-run single to make it 16-9.

In the fifth, CSI padded its lead to 20-9 with a solo home run, and a three-run homer. WNC completed the scoring on Lesniak’s sacrifice fly.