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Amaral gives reserves the field in loss to Muckers

by Dan Thomas

Even before Virginia City started walking away with a home baseball win over Whittell, Warriors skipper Don Amaral had planned to use Tuesday as a field day.

So, while Virginia City had six first-inning walks, 10 bases on balls through the game, and a 17-6 game, Tuesday’s outing provided Amaral a closer look at his roster’s depth. Amaral tested 17 players and four pitchers in the game.

“If somebody had told me at the start of the season that 10 games in I’d be 6-4 and 2-0 (in league play), I’d be a happy guy,” Amaral said.



Thomas Hunter (1-2) picked up the loss after going two thirds of an inning as he continues to recover from a chipped bone near his shoulder. But Hunter, freshman Tyson Fredericks, Joe Piccola and Matt Wiggins all pitched in. That means Whittell’s starter for Tuesday’s home game against Yerington will be pitching on 11 days rest, whether it’s Bryce Schussel (1-1) or Brandon Lee (5-0).

Wiggins impressed Amaral by striking out two and retiring the side in the fifth inning. The four freshmen who logged time in the field for Whittell played mistake-free ball.



“We just didn’t get the breaks,” Amaral said. “The balls were out of our reach. What I did like is we scored three in the last inning and we left two on base.”

The Warriors meet Yerington for the second time this season on Tuesday, then travel to Dayton for a March 29 date with the Dust Devils. Whittell already has beaten Yerington once this year, 2-0, with Lee pitching.


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