Silverado cruises into Legion title game; Durango gets another shot

Nick Christensen

Friday, Aug. 5, 2005 | 10:49 a.m.

Nevada State Tournament

Wilson Stadium, UNLV

Saturday, July 30

Silverado 9, Bishop Gorman 6 Sierra Vista 6, Las Vegas 2

Sunday, July 31

Reno 4, Palo Verde 2 Durango 7, Bonanza 6

Monday, Aug. 1

Bishop Gorman 10, Las Vegas 8 Silverado 6, Sierra Vista 5

Tuesday, Aug. 2

Palo Verde 8, Bonanza 1 Reno 4, Durango 2

Wednesday, Aug. 3

Bishop Gorman 11, Sierra Vista 3 Durango 7, Palo Verde 3

Thursday

Durango 5, Reno 3 Silverado 14, Bishop Gorman 1

Today

Reno vs. Durango

Saturday Championship 8 p.m. --

Silverado vs. winner of Reno-Durangogame

Silverado's summer season is starting to look like a repeat of the spring league -- with one key exception.

The Skyhawks, who got hot in April to take the top seed in the Southeast Division after struggling in March, fell twice to Basic in the Sunrise Region playoffs for an early exit.

This summer, the Hawks are peaking a little later -- and right on time. They entered the American Legion tournament a fifth seed but earned an automatic bid into Saturday's state championship (8 p.m., UNLV) with a 14-1, 7-inning drubbing of Bishop Gorman on Thursday night at Wilson Stadium.

"We've got a bunch of young kids that have done a great job," Silverado coach Brian Whitaker said. "Our summer philosophy is at-bats and innings. We use a lot of people so it's nice to see them coming through when it's tournament time."

The Hawks scored eight runs in the seventh inning to secure their championship berth. They'll face the winner of tonight's Reno-Durango game at Wilson Stadium.

"That was a good ballgame," Whitaker said. "Chasen Bradford does a great job holding them to one run and we have that big run there getting to the seventh; we get to that 10-run-rule deal and I guess we couldn't have drew it up any better than that."

Bradford went the distance, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out six Gorman batters.

Kevin Rath went 3-for-4 for the Hawks, scoring two runs and driving two more home. Kolton Villa had a home run and finished 2-for-4.

Durango survived to play again today by beating Reno 5-3 in the afternoon game at Wilson Stadium. The teams were tied going into the seventh inning, but Durango scored runs in the seventh and eighth to overtake the Knights.

Tommy Pham went 2-for-4 for Durango, and Daniel Jones gave up three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out four Reno batters. Jayson McClaren, Mike Hammonds and Kyle Dimartino combined to go 3 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out five. McClaren got the win.

Kris Cichoski, a pitcher, infielder and designated hitter for Durango, said tough days earlier in the season made it easier for the Blazers to survive close games like Thursday's.

"We played a lot of games this summer, a lot more than some other teams," he said. "Every day we played close to 14 innings in doublehaders, so we're used to these 9-inning games."

Durango and Reno meet at 8 p.m. today to decide who plays in the championship. The winner advances to next week's American Legion regional tournament, scheduled to be held at Lied Field in Henderson.