Blue Jays win tourney opener

RENO - The Carson Blue Jays used the hitting of Chance Quilling and the right arm of Adam Whitt to beat Damonte Ranch 12-2 in their opening game of the High Sierra Classic at Bishop Manogue High School on Thursday afternoon.

The Blue Jays return to action today with two games scheduled. At noon, Carson will play Elko on the JV field, and then after a short break, play at 5 p.m. on the varsity diamond.

Quilling went 3-for-3 and drove in five runs, while Whitt, after giving up a homer on his first pitch of the game, settled down and pitched a six-hitter in the five-inning contest.

"He (Quilling) has been swinging it real well," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "He's bought into what coach Manoukian is teaching. He's staying back on the ball better. He's always been on his front foot. He's keeping his weight back and coming through the ball."

It's night and day between now and the high school season for the right-handed hitting Quilling who struggled to find consistency at the plate.

"I've been trying to stay back and I'm working on my bat speed," Quilling said. "I'm trying not to get jammed. I'm just trying to get better each day.

"I know all I have to do is put the ball in play and good things will happen. I have to work harder at putting the ball in play on a more consistent basis."

Carson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first thanks to two walks, two throwing errors by catcher Dom Austria, a sacrifice fly by Shea Bondi and a single by Quilling.

Damonte tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the first. Whitt was tagged for a first-pitch homer by Max Heckendorn. Justin Bridgman reached on an infield single and eventually scored on a Quinn Larsen single. The damage could have been more, but a strong throw by Bondi trapped Austria between second and third where he was tagged out after a short rundown.

Whitt allowed just three hits over the final four innings. He fanned seven, including four of the last five hitters he faced.

"He battled for us all year," Farnworth said. "I don't think he had his best stuff. He did a good job throwing strikes."

Carson struck for five runs in the second inning on just two hits en route to taking a 7-2 lead. Carson hitters walked five times and four of the players getting free passes scored.

The first run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Austin Pacheco. Quilling followed with a two-run single, and after Nick Domitrovich walked, Colby Blueberg blasted a two-run double to the base of the fence in left-centerfield. Blueberg was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

The Blue Jays tacked on four more in the third to increase their lead to 11-2.

Whitt led off with a double and scored on Luke Maher's single to right. After Rory Petersen popped to second and Brock Pradere forced Maher at second. Bondi reached on an error and Pacheco was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Quilling followed with a three-run double to complete the outburst.

Carson tacked on an unearned run in the fourth when Whitt reached on an error, advanced to third on a wild pickoff throw by the Damonte pitcher and scored on Drew Moreland's sacrifice fly.