Las Vegas stays hot, downs Eldorado, 6-2

Spencer Patterson

Friday, April 12, 2002 | 9:16 a.m.

Las Vegas High's baseball team came into Thursday's conference opener with a 10-10 mark, but don't let the .500 record fool you. The Wildcats are one of Nevada's hottest teams.

With wins over top-10 teams Centennial, Durango and Silverado in the last eight days, the 'Cats continued to roll, starting league play with a 6-2 victory over visiting Eldorado.

"The kids are playing well," Las Vegas coach Sam Thomas said. "They're starting to focus a lot more, and starting to realize we have to play well for the full seven innings."

Senior shortstop Sean Kazmar, MVP of the Northeast Division last year, belted a pair of homers and drove in five runs. His three-run shot in the third made it 4-2, and his two-run blast in the fifth gave the Wildcats (11-10, 1-0 Northeast) their four-run winning margin.

"We're not the biggest team but we're scrappy," said Kazmar, who has eight homers and 32 RBIs. "I think beating some of the better teams (last week) gave us a lot of confidence out here today."

Senior right-hander Daniel McKean made Kazmar's heroics stand up, shutting the Sundevils out after Brandon Ward's two-run single gave Eldorado (8-9, 0-1) a 2-1 lead in the top of the third inning. McKean struck out six batters and yielded nine hits with no walks.

"Daniel had surgery on his knee and missed the first three games of the season, so he's still getting stronger," Thomas said. "A game like this is good for him."

Reliever Pete White came on in the seventh and escaped a bases-loaded jam, inducing a ground ball out from Jason Workman to end the game.

Leadoff hitter Cameron Johnson reached base three times, doubled and scored three runs for Las Vegas, while Joe Cormier and Ward each had a pair of hits for Eldorado.