RENO - The third inning of Thursday's Sierra League game at Damonte Ranch was a microcosm of Carson's season.
The young Senators failed to make two plays defensively that led to five unearned runs in the third and a 10-2 loss which dropped them to 3-7 in league and 4-9 overall. It was their fourth straight loss.
The teams will conclude their three-game series today with a twi-night doubleheader. The first game starts at 3:45 p.m. with the second game starting approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
This was almost a repeat of the Galena series in the sense that Carson made three errors which led to seven unearned runs off ace David Charles, and the offense managed only three hits off Anthony Rosa, giving them just 15 over the past four games.
"We keep making the same mistakes," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "As a coaching staff, we have to change something so we don't make the same mistakes. They're trying. Maybe it's youth.
"We're still taking some good fastballs and swinging at pitches out of the strike zone."
Carson started well, scoring single runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-1 lead.
In the second, David Feltner drew a walk against Rosa and stole second on a pitch into the dirt. He came around to score on a two-out single by Brock Pradere. Nick Domitrovich was hit by a pitch starting the third and eventually scored on a passed ball.
That set the stage for an ugly bottom of the third which set the tone for the rest of the game.
Ryan Rieger walked. Trent Beers followed with a ball hit to the right of the mound which Carson pitcher David Charles flagged down. When Charles whirled to throw to second nobody was covering. Charles threw to first, but Rory Petersen didn't handle the throw and was credited with an error by the official scorer. Rieger took third on the play.
After Rosa popped up, Kevin Schulewitch hit a two-hopper down the line at third. Rieger broke for home on contact and beat Pradere's throw to the plate to make it 3-2. Spencer Moss singled to drive home Beers. After Tony Van Dover walked to load the bases, Charles caught Bennett Bedford looking at a third strike. Charles was one strike away from getting out of the inning, but he got one up too high and Ray McBroom sent one to the wall at left to score all three runners and give the Mustangs a 6-2 lead.
"If we make those two plays, we don't give up five runs that inning," Farnworth said. "I think Brock (Pradere) made the right play. The guy just beat the throw home."
Damonte padded its lead with three unearned runs in the fifth, knocking Charles from the mound in the process and extending the lead to 9-2.
Charles didn't have his best stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but he certainly deserved better than a 9-2 deficit.
"It's hard to put my finger on it," Carson pitching coach Scott Albin said when asked about Charles' performance. "He has great innings and then he has rough innings. I think at times he's trying to take everything on his shoulders instead of just pitching in my opinion."
Rosa, who is headed to Southern Nevada College, didn't have his best stuff either, but Damonte's two errors weren't nearly as costly. He kept Carson's hitters at bay with his change-up and curveball.
"Normally we like to throw more fastballs," Damonte coach Jon Polson said. "He didn't have his best stuff. He couldn't locate his fastball. He battled through.
"This was a tough game. The score didn't show what type of ballgame it was. Charles is a very tough pitcher. We knew we had a battle on our hands. They're a young team. Next year we'll be like they are now (in terms of experience)."
NOTES: Domitrovich made his first start of the season behind the plate, and Farnworth indicated he will catch one game per series ... Domitrovich and Colby Blueberg will start today's games against Sean Prihar and Schulewitch.
SIERRA LEAGUE BASEBALL STANDINGS
Team W L
Galena 7 0
Damonte Ranch 6 1
Douglas 6 3
Fallon 4 2
Manogue 3 6
Carson 3 7
South Tahoe 0 10
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