Tribune photo by Tony Contini - Sparks Centennial hitter Cameron Beard is a hit by a pitch during his team’s 11-4 all-star tournament triumph over Reno National Thursday night.
The local club handed Reno National a 11-4 defeat in a first-round championship bracket contest at the South Valleys sports complex in south Reno.
Sparks got its offense going early and never really let up. The Centennials jumped out to the early lead with two runs in the first frame. Brenden Parisotto singled and scored and Austin Beard walked and scored. Brandon Koszuth laced a run-scoring scoring single in the rally.
After Reno answered with a run in its half of the first, Sparks came right back in the top of inning two and pushed across a trio of runs. Sparks Centennial never trailed in the tourney tilt.
Sparks extended its edge to 7-1 with two more runs in the fourth. Koszuth ripped an RBI triple that plated Beard. Koszuth came home on an RBI fielder's choice by Logan Davis.
Reno National stayed in contention briefly. It broke out for three runs in the bottom of the fourth, trimming the Sparks lead to 7-4.
That's as good as it got for Reno National. Sparks Centennial nixed any Reno comeback hopes by tacking on four runs of its own in the top of the fifth to cap the game's scoring.
“As soon as they got back in the game at 7-4, I told the kids, 'we need three or four more runs.' And then they came out and got those,” Sparks Centennial coach Blaine Beard said.
Austin Beard picked up the win on the mound for Sparks Centennial, working the first four innings. Beard was effective at the plate too, rapping out three singles, driving in three runs and scoring four runs.
Tournament action subsides today for the holiday but resumes Saturday. Sparks Centennial will face Carson National in a tournament semifinal at 5 p.m. Saturday.
“Our game plan for Saturday is just to see Sunday. We're honored to be this far in the tournament,” coach Beard said. “We're glad we can represent Sparks Centennial and the city of Sparks like we have.”
•In the 10-11-year-old division, Sparks National prevailed in a battle of local clubs, capturing an 11-4 victory over Sparks Centennial Thursday.
Sparks National grabbed the early momentum by posting four first-inning runs. It never relinquished its lead.
In the Sparks National first, Austin Garrick singled and scored on a double by Kyle Messer, who scored later in the inning on a passed ball. Dakota Tompkins walked and scored on a throwing error. Dustin Weis reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch.
Sparks Centennial showed it wanted to hang around, pushing across three runs in the top of the second. With two runs already in, Cameron Espinosa capped the outburst with a solo home run.
That's as good as it got for Sparks Centennial. Sparks National added two runs in the fourth and five in the fifth to blow the game open.
The Nationals move into a loser-out tournament semifinal against Carson Valley Saturday at 5 p.m.
Jared Weis earned the pitching victory, by working 5 and 1-3 innings. He finished with five strikeouts and did not issue a walk.
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