Wagner fans 18 in Cimarron victory

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Aug. 5, 2002 | 11:09 a.m.

State Legion

(At Lied Field, CCSN Henderson)

Saturday's Results

Bishop Gorman 14, Las Vegas 11

Centennial 11, Basic 10, 10 inn.

Sunday's Results

Reno 13, Palo Verde 1

Cimarron-Memorial 3, Silverado 2

Monday's Games

Game 5: Las Vegas vs. Basic, 5 p.m.

Game 6: Bishop Gorman vs. Centennial, 8 p.m.

Tuesday's Games

Game 7: Palo Verde vs. Silverado, 5 p.m.

Game 8: Reno vs. Cimarron-Memorial, 8 p.m.

Wednesday's Games

Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 5 p.m.

Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 8 p.m.

Thursday's Games

Game 11: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 5 p.m.

Game 12: Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 8 p.m.

In an American Legion State Tournament filled with gaudy offensive numbers, Cimarron-Memorial Matt Wagner showed fans 18 reasons why pitching is still king.

The Spartans' right-hander struck out 18 batters in a nine-inning complete game, helping his squad to a 3-2 win over Silverado Sunday at the Community College of Southern Nevada.

"He did the job tonight. He was lights out," Cimarron Legion coach Kevin Kohler said. "I never expected, in the first game, to let anyone go nine (innings) ... but Wags kept getting stronger and stronger."

Indeed, Wagner only seemed to improve as the game wore on, retiring 17 of the final 18 batters, including 13 by strikeout. Six of the seven hits he allowed -- including Jered Ferdinand's two-run homer -- came in the game's first four innings.

"I felt pretty good out there. I threw strikes, and our team backed me up," Wagner (8-1) said. "I knew I had a pretty good (strikeout) total, but I don't keep track, or else you start worrying about that too much."

Despite Wagner's heroics, the second-seeded Spartans found themselves trailing the seventh-seeded Skyhawks 2-1 after six innings. Silverado pitcher Wes Johnson dueled with Wagner throughout, scattering six hits and striking out nine batters in his nine innings.

But in the bottom of the seventh, the Spartans finally got to Johnson (8-5) for a pair of runs. Allan Woodward doubled and Brandon Trodick walked before Brandon Earl singled home Woodward to knot the score. Cimarron took the lead when Trodick came around from second on a throwing error by Ferdinand.

"We knew it was a nine-inning game and if we hung in there, we'd be able to come back," said Wagner, a UNLV signee.

Up next on Tuesday for the Spartans: a red-hot Reno team coming off a 13-1 rout of Palo Verde on Thursday.