Gators roll in state baseball tournament

Spencer Patterson

Friday, May 22, 1998 | 10:51 a.m.

RENO -- Green Valley coach Rodger Fairless couldn't have scripted things any better for his five-time defending champs in game one of the U.S. Bank 4A State Baseball Tournament Thursday.

Not only did the Gators hammer Douglas 14-0 in a contest that lasted just five innings, but Green Valley's big lead allowed Fairless to pull ace Mike Nannini after just 44 pitches.

That means that if senior Joe Orloski can get Green Valley past Carson in today's semifinal round, Nannini will get the chance to come back on Saturday to pitch for the championship.

"It's the best thing that could have happened," said Fairless, whose club improved to 31-2.

Everything didn't go as planned for local entry Bishop Gorman in game two, however, as the Gaels dropped into the double-elimination event's losers bracket after a 3-2 defeat to Carson.

Gorman coach Tim Chambers elected to start No. 3 pitcher Brandon Boesch in the opener, leaving his club in good shape on the mound with seniors Jason Van Meetren and Paul Wurts available for today's consolation round.

"Now we just play it one game at a time, and we still have our No. 1 and 2 pitchers left," said Chambers, whose squad faced Douglas today at 9:30 a.m.

Two TD spread

Green Valley finished its game with a decidedly un-baseball-like linescore, dropping a pair of seven-run innings on the Tigers (24-9) after failing to bring a run home in the first and second.

Douglas southpaw Brady Ovard nearly escaped the third inning unscathed as well, but a two-out error by shortstop Kenny Nicoll allowed Gators DH Justin Gentile to reach base, opening the floodgates for the Southern Zone champs.

Ben Schiess and David Jensen blasted back-to-back doubles to the gap in left-center to make it 2-0. Orloski and Matt Merrifield drew walks to load the bases, and David Krynzel was hit by an Ovard pitch for his team's third run.

Green Valley catcher Dan Krynzel then cleared the bases with a long double, putting the Gators ahead 6-0. Kyle Reed capped the frame with an RBI double -- one of seven two-base hits by the Gators in the contest.

"We got it going again today with two outs," said Fairless, whose team will take on Carson -- the last Northern team to win the state's large-school title -- at 12:30 p.m. today.

In the fourth inning, the Gators didn't wait for the Tigers to record two outs before they went to work offensively. The first four Green Valley batters in the frame reached base, chasing Ovard from the game.

Nannini, meanwhile, worked four superb, quick innings, allowing just one baserunner, a Nicoll single in the third.

Carson show

Gorman's game with Northern Zone champion Carson (30-5) turned in the bottom of the third inning, when the Senators scored three runs to take the lead for good.

The key play occurred with Carson DH Scott Eilenfeldt on first base. Boesch appeared to pick the runner off with a quick throw to first baseman Ryan Lee, but Eilenfeldt was called safe.

One batter later, Justin Serrano belted a double to deep center, scoring Eilenfeldt to knot the score at one. Matt Staub's double brought home Serrano moments later, and Steve Bauman knocked home his club's third run with an RBI single.

"That play at first base, that was the game," said Chambers, whose Gales dropped to 25-8. "That was three runs."

The Gaels got one run back in the sixth when Joe Cannella singled home Nino Mantico. But Dallas Pollaro, Van Meetren and Lee -- Gorman's second, third and fourth hitters -- went down in order against Carson pitcher Darrell Rasner in the seventh to end the game.

"We didn't get any clutch hits," Chambers said.

Rasner had a lot to do with Gorman's offensive inefficiency. The senior -- the Northern Zone's Pitcher of the Year -- worked seven innings, scattering seven hits, walking two and striking out five.