Carson High's softball team rode the strong right arm of Lindsay Ashbaugh and the powerful bat of Moriah Lane to a key Sierra League win Friday afternoon.
Lane, the junior transfer from South Tahoe, went 4-for-4 and drove in seven runs, and Ashbaugh allowed three unearned runs in six innings of relief to lead the Senators to a 9-4 win over Wooster.
Carson, which played without ace pitcher Daria Lied, improved to 7-6 and will look to sweep the series when it travels to Wooster for a doubleheader at 10 a.m. today.
"We talked yesterday basically on how we need to take this series," Carson coach Scott Vickrey said. "We had to get off the losing streak that started at the tournament (last week).
"With Daria out this series we needed people to step up. Moriah had a big day and Lauren's bunt (in the fifth) was key."
Lane, who has been swinging a big bat all year, delivered big hits in the third and fifth innings.
With Wooster leading 3-1 entering the bottom of the third, Lane lined a full-count pitch just inside the bag at third scoring Emily Collins and Jocelyn Young, who had singled, and Lauren Knorzer, who had reached on a walk, to make it 4-3.
Carson added four more runs in the fifth, putting the game out of reach at 8-4.
Megan Hein started the inning with a double, advanced to third on Young's single and scored on Knorzer's bunt single. Lane followed with a three-run homer. After one out, Lisa Yamamoto walked and stole second. She was thrown out at home trying to score on K.C. Withrow's double.
Lane would later add an RBI single in the sixth on a hard-hit ball up the middle.
"I guess I was just on my game today," Lane said. "I was really seeing the ball well today. The homer must have been a mistake (on the part of the pitcher) because it was right there."
Carson got off to a rough start.
Carson starter Christina Gallegos walked Quinn Sheehy, who moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Megan Moran's single.
Carson tied the game at 1 when Lane singled and moved around to third on a throwing error. She scored on a single by Lisa Yamamoto.
Stephanie Keith walked to lead off the second, and that ended Gallegos' day in the circle.
"We had talked about allowing leadoff hitters to get on, and that hurt us in the tournament," Vickrey said. "Christina was struggling a little bit. We had decided to be proactive instead of reactive. We knew Lindsay would come in and do the job for us."
Wooster scored twice in the third to make it 3-1 after Ashbaugh came on, as the Senators made two errors, one each by Marissa Lucido and Collins.
Ashbaugh allowed only three hits after the third inning and just one unearned run, that coming in the sixth after Hein was called for catcher's interference.
"I didn't think I'd go in that early," Ashbaugh said. "I think I did pretty good for not pitching in a while."
With Lied sidelined for today's games, Vickrey said it was a good possibility that Ashbaugh could start one of the games. Vickrey also has Gallegos and Natalie Morrow.
"We'll look at everybody (warming up) and see who is hitting their spots," Vickrey said. "Whoever pitches will be on a pretty short leash."