Tichenor, Bulldogs dominate

RENO -- Boyd Wittwer didn't think Tanner Tichenor was good enough to pitch for his team.

And the Virgin Valley baseball coach never has been happier to be wrong.

Tichenor threw a four-hitter on Saturday to lead the Bulldogs to an 8-1 win over Truckee in the Class 3A state title game at Aces Ballpark.

"The crazy thing is at the first of the season I wasn't even sure Tanner was one of my pitchers," Wittwer said. "We didn't even throw him until about halfway through the season. And I've got to give him credit. He kept pestering me."

That persistence paid off for Tichenor and his teammates. The junior right-hander threw a second consecutive postseason complete game, after shutting out Boulder City in the 3A Southern League title game.

"This one today, he just did a phenomenal job," Wittwer said. "Sometimes the kids are smarter than the coaches.

"Based on past years and what I'd seen, I didn't think he was going to be in the top five or so pitchers on this team. But obviously I was wrong. I've been wrong before, and I don't mind being wrong when it works out."

Tichenor struck out just two but issued only one walk. Truckee (29-9) scored its lone run in the top of the first after Jordan Deiro led off with a triple and came home on a groundout by James DePew.

But Tichenor was outstanding the rest of the way, getting ahead of Truckee hitters throughout the game. Tichenor threw just 68 pitches, 49 of them strikes. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of 24 batters.

"It felt really good," Tichenor said. "I knew when Coach told me (I was going to start) that I could go out there and do my job."

Tichenor also helped himself with the bat, coming up with perhaps the biggest hit of the game, a bases-loaded triple in the first that keyed a five-run inning for Virgin Valley (25-8).

"He had a phenomenal game on the mound, and that was a real big hit," Wittwer said. "That was a crushing blow early in the game."

Tichenor said the five-run first helped make his job on the mound that much easier.

"Knowing I had a four-run lead, it was really easy just to stay calm and relaxed," Tichenor said.

Wittwer said the big inning early helped take the Wolverines out of the game.

Jason Wittwer was 3-for-4 with a double, a triple and three runs for Virgin Valley. Brandt Eaton and Johnny Gleave each added two hits for the Bulldogs.

CLASS 2A

At Carson, Needles (22-9) was eliminated with an 8-5 loss to Battle Mountain in the losers' bracket final, falling short of a third straight 2A state title.

Whittell (32-3) captured the state crown with a 7-6 victory over Battle Mountain (22-11).

CLASS 1A

At Reno, Pahranagat Valley is no stranger to state titles. But it had been a while since the Panthers had won a baseball crown.

The drought is over.

Kade Wadsworth's three-run double in the fourth inning broke a 2-2 tie, and Pahranagat Valley went on to a 9-5 win over Carlin (15-13-1) for the Class 1A state title at Aces Ballpark. It was the school's first baseball championship since 2001.

"They're an amazing group of kids," said Pahranagat Valley coach Brad Loveday, whose team finished 24-2. "They won state in football and basketball, and some of these kids were state championship wrestlers. They just go and play."

Contact reporter Damon Seiters at dseiters@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4587.