Carson baseball sweeps Reed

Carson High snapped a three-game losing streak in an impressive way Saturday afternoon at Ron McNutt Field.

In the opener, lefty David Charles scattered five hits and Paul Cagle III slammed a two-run homer in the first to lead the Senators to an easy 14-3 win. In the second game, Carson overcame a 6-5 deficit with four fifth-inning runs to grab a 10-7 victory for a doubleheader sweep.

The victories enabled Carson to move to 11-3 overall heading into Tuesday's non-league game at home against Manogue. The win was Carson's ninth straight without a loss at home.

"It feels good (to end the streak)," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "Even though it's non-league to get W's is important. I think subconciously they thought it wasn't as important and I think they let up."

Farnworth said there was a much better effort at recent practices, and that the team put forth a better effort at the plate as the 26 hits in two games indicated.

Cagle was especially impressive, going 5-for-7 in the two games. Of his five hits, three went for extra bases.

"I'm trying to wait for my pitches; be a little more patient," Cagle said. "I've been swinging the bat better the last couple of series'."

Cagle got the Senators off to a good start in the first inning of the first game after Charles alowed Reed a first-inning run.

With one out, Tommy Preston walked and scored on Cagle's homer. After Cody Barr lined to right, a walk o Dustin Buttner and singles by Matt Rutledge and Tommy Purcell generated another run to make it 3-1.

"It was a 2-2 fastball," Cagle said. "He tried to come inside. I was short to the ball and just tried to put it in play."

Carson tacked on two more runs in the second on singles by Tyler Hutchins and Brett Valley plus a double by Preston.

After Reed cut the deficit to 5-2 in the third on losing pitcher Sam Petrie's single, Carson added a run in the bottom of the third when Brooks Hutchins doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a two-out error by the Reed left fielder.

Charles gave up his final run in the top of the fourth when Eric Wilkinson reached on a bunt single and eventually scored on Ryan Butler's infield out.

Carson exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach.

Preston started the onslaught with a solo off-field homer to right. Purcel contributed a two-run single, while Brett Valley delivered an RBI triple, Barr a run-scoring single and Rutledge had a bases-loaded walk.

In the second game, Reed led 6-5 entering the bottom of the fifth, but the Senators fought back with four runs to take the lad.

Purcell reached on an error and moved to second on Jeff Butler's single. Valley singled to load the bases. After Preston struck out, Purcell scored on a wild pitch and then Cagle delivered a two-run single to make it 8-6. The Senators pulled off a double steal to score their final run of the inning.

Reed pushed across an unearned run in the top of the sixth to make it 9-7, but Carson got the run back in the bottom of the inning on Butler's sacrifice fly.