The Reno Aces, Northern Nevada's scout team, were two outs away from picking up what would have been a most impressive win already in its first season. But then the Columbia Angels flexed their muscles.

 

The Aces rallied to take a 5-4 lead before the Angels, based in Houston Texas, hit a two-run home run and a solo shot in the ninth inning for a 7-5 victory on Thursday afternoon at Western Nevada College's John L. Harvey Field.

 

 

The Aces are a team composed of local players ranging from high school to those who will be sophomores in college while the Angels are considered by many to be the nation's top 19-and-under team.

 

Alex Vogt, who had pitched a scoreless eighth for the Aces, got the first out in the ninth. But then he allowed a single, two-run home run and a solo shot to the next three batters for the final margin. Ryan Zussy came on to record the last two outs for the Aces.

 

The Aces (23-6) were down 4-0 when they rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 5-4 lead. Justin Farley walked and scored on Ray Daniels' RBI triple. C.J. Maldonado followed with an RBI single.

 

After Taylor Bates walked to load the bases, Brandon Frankel hit a groundball to shortstop, but hustled down the line to beat out a possible inning-ending double play. A run scored to make it 4-3.

 

The Aces then pulled off the rundown play as Frankel got on a rundown and a run scored on a throwing error to third. Frankel came all the way around to score on another throwing error to home on the play to give the Aces a 5-4 lead.

 

WNC can be encouraged by the effort of Aces starting pitcher Teryn Smith. The WNC-bound pitcher from Fallon turned in six outstanding innings as he allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out five.

 

Columbia took a 1-0 lead in the first after a double with two outs. Smith struck out the next batter which would have ended the inning, but the hitter reached on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch made it 1-0.

 

The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the second on a single, stolen base, wild pitch and a groundout. Smith worked out of a jam in the fifth after a bloop single and a double gave the Angels runners at second and third with no outs. Smith got a strikeout, a comebacker and another strikeout to end the threat.

 

In the sixth, a double and passed ball gave the Angels a runner at third with no outs. But Smith got two popups and then the runner broke for home on a pitch that got away from Maldonado. But Maldonado retrieved the ball and the runner was retired after a rundown.

 

The Aces missed a chance to score in the bottom of the fifth when Bates singled and Frankel doubled to give the Aces runners at second and third with one out.

 

Josh Cutts came on in the seventh for the Aces and allowed two runs after two walks, an RBI sacrifice fly and an RBI single that gave the Angels a 4-0 lead. Sean Brown added a hit for the Aces.