Kyle Mandoki continued to show his impressive form this summer for the Carson Cardinals, but in the end suffered a heartbreaking loss.
Mandoki pitched a complete game, allowing only four hits over nine innings, but the Cardinals suffered a 3-2 loss to the Sierra Sun Devils in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Thursday at Ron McNutt Field. The Cardinals outhit the Sun Devils 10-4, but couldn't take advantage of numerous chances, including in the bottom of the ninth inning when it appeared that Carson had scored the tying run, but the runner was ruled out for the last out when it was ruled he didn't slide on a close play.
In the opener, Douglas High graduate D.J. Brady hit two home runs - including a three-run shot - and pitched six innings for the win as the Sun Devils won12-4.
Tony Fagan had three hits and struck out six while allowing seven earned runs over 5.2 innings for the Cardinals. Fagan ended up with five hits in the doubleheader.
Carson took a 1-0 lead in the second inning in the nightcap when David Leid doubled and scored on Matt Rutledge's single. Mandoki held the Sun Devils to just one hit heading into the sixth when he ran into trouble.
Mandoki hit two batters and walked another to load the bases with one out. He then fell behind in the count 3-0 against the next batter, but came back to strike him out.
But Mandoki went on to allow a two-run double that landed just fair down the right field line as the Sun Devils took a 2-1 lead. Mandoki eventually induced a popup to end the inning.
Carson tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Tony Fagan doubled and Leid hit an RBI single. The Sun Devils scored an unearned run to take a 3-2 lead in the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, it appeared that Joe Skates had come through with a game-tying RBI single, but instead the runner was ruled out at the plate for not sliding.
Leid went 3-for-3, Greenlee and Fagan both had two hits, including a double, and Paul Cagle added a hit.
In the opener, Carson took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Greenlee walked and scored on Bryt Lewis' double.
Fagan singled to give the Cardinals runners at first and third with one out, but Brady induced a pop fly and a groundball to escape the jam.
Douglas High graduate and Western Nevada Community College bound Roman Davis had a single during a two-run second that gave the Sun Devils a 2-1 lead. Brady's first homer made it 3-1 in the third. The Sun Devils went on to have a runner at third with one out, but Fagan struck out the next two batters to escape the jam.
Brady hit his three-run shot in a four-run fourth that gave the Sun Devils a 7-1 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Fagan singled and scored on Johnny Hazeltine's single. After Rob Valerius walked, Drew Good and Skates hit RBI singles for Carson to cut the deficit to 7-4.
Davis had an RBI single in the sixth as the Sun Devils scored five unearned runs to complete the scoring. Davis and Brady both had two hits and Fagan had a double among his three hits. University of Nevada's Jeremy Joustra pitched a scoreless seventh for the Sun Devils.
The Cardinals are scheduled to play another doubleheader, beginning at 5:30 p.m. today against the Damonte Rebels at McNutt Field.