Cisco Melendez flashed some speed on the bases, not to mention leather at second base, Sam Christensen drove in two key runs and the Carson Capitols had yet another solid pitching performance on their way to a 4-1 Capitol Classic victory against the Woodward (Okla.) Travelers on Thursday night.
The Capitols only had five hits, but they made the most of their opportunities to score single runs in each of the first four innings and remain unbeaten in the tournament at Carson High School's Ron McNutt Field.
The Capitols, now 4-0, will try to take a step toward securing a berth in the tournament's championship round at 8 p.m. tonight when they face the Danville Hoots (3-1). Carson split a doubleheader on June 18 against Danville.
Jeremy Lucero and Derek Davis combined to limit the Travelers to two hits in a game called after six innings due to the tournament's 2-hour, 15-minute time limit.
Lucero, who just graduated from Western High School in Las Vegas and has signed with UNLV, earned the game MVP award and the win. He allowed two hits, struck out nine and walked five over five innings. Davis struck out three of the four batters he faced in the sixth.
The Capitols have allowed just four runs on 10 hits in their four tournament victories.
After spotting Woodward a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Capitols came back to tie when leadoff man Cisco Melendez walked and stole his way around the bases.
Carson went up 2-1 in the second when Brent Cordell walked and scored on Sam Christensen's line drive single into right-center field.
The Capitols extended their lead to 4-1, scoring without benefit of any hits in the third and fourth innings. Christensen's sacrifice fly to center brought Joe Jacobitz home with a run in the third. Melendez scored again in the fourth, as he was hit by a pitch, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and dashed home on a passed ball.
The Travelers put two runners aboard in the fifth, but a double steal attempt was thwarted when Melendez took a throw in front of the bag and returned a strike to catcher Joe Jacobitz to nail the lead runner.
Woodward got a defensive gem of its own in the fifth, when Zach Craig gunned down a run at home with a strike from right field.