Eclipse takes second place

The Carson Valley Eclipse, a 16-and-under fast-pitch softball team based out of Gardnerville, finished second in the South Tahoe Amateur Softball Association tournament over the weekend.

The Eclipse finished 3-2 over the weekend, both losses coming to eventual champion NorCal Elite.

NorCal Elite of Fairfield, Calif., beat the Eclipse 2-0 in the finals despite a solid pitching performance from Katie Pagen, who yielded nine singles. Two errors contributed to both runs scoring. Pagen struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

The Eclipse managed just three hits, singles by Pagen, Missy Kaplan and Felicia Imelli.

The locals reached the finals with a 12-1 win over the Reno All-Stars behind a four-hit, nine-strikeout performance by right-hander Nicole Snyder.

Ari Gonzalez, a Carson High player, went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, and Kaplan singled three times and drove in two runs. Snyder helped her own cause with a single and double and Pagen went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Morgan Barone and Mitzi Olsen added a single apiece.

Carson Valley opened the tourney with a 14-2 win over the Reno All-Stars in a game called after four innings because of the 10-run rule. Pagen pitched a a two-hitter and struck out seven. She helped herself at the plate with a triple, two singles and four RBIs. Gonzalez hit a single and two doubles, and drove in four runs. Barone went 2-for-3, and Jessica Grant and Michelle Nenzel added a hit each.

The Eclipse lost 12-5 to NorCal in a game called after five innings because of the seven-run rule. Gonzalez led the offense with three hits, while Nenzel and Kaplan added two each. Pagen hit a two-run single.

The local squad bounced back with a 4-1 win over the Diamonds behind the two-hit, seven-strikeout pitching of Snyder.

Carson Valley scored all of its runs in the first inning, three scoring on Barone's double. Gonzalez and Imelli singled for the winners.