For the second time this summer, the Carson Blue Jays barely worked up a sweat in pounding the Reed Legends.
Colby Blueberg threw four shutout innings and drove in two runs at the plate to lead Carson to a easy 14-3 win over Reed on Tuesday night at Ron McNutt Field.
Carson improved to 9-5 entering the first day of the Manogue Tournament on Thursday afternoon. The Blue Jays play Damonte at noon and then battle Elko County at 3:30 p.m.
Blueberg was dominant, allowing just three hits while striking out two and walking one. Reed didn't get a runner past second base until the top of the fifth when it scored all of its runs.
"That's the best I've seen him throw this summer," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "He was standing tall and his slider was moving really well tonight. We need him to get better."
Blueberg said this was his best game since he beat Manogue, 9-5, during the high school season.
"Mechanics-wise I've been a little off," Blueberg said. "There are a couple of more things I need to work on. Tonight, I hit the strike zone like it was nothing. I was spotting the ball well."
Blueberg said by staying tall he was able to throw the ball at more of a downward angle, making it even tougher on the hitters. He also said being tall helps his velocity.
And, the defense was solid behind him. Talk to any defensive player, and he'll tell you that it's easier to play defense when the pitcher is around the plate and works quickly. Blueberg did both of those things against Reed.
"The kids made the plays they had to," Farnworth said. "It's nice that when the ball is put in play we're going to make a play on it."
Carson's offense, or rather Reed's lack of pitching, made it pretty easy, too. Carson drew seven walks and one batter was hit. Of those eight free bases, six scored.
Six of those walks came in the second inning when Carson scored seven runs on just three hits. Nick Domitrovich had the big hit, a two-run single. Brock Pradere added a run-scoring double, while Blueberg helped himself with a run-scoring single.
Carson struck for seven more runs in the third, this time collecting seven hits. A two-out error after two runs had already scored led to five unearned runs in the inning. A two-out single by Austin Pacheco and a two-out triple by Chance Quilling sparked the rally. Blueberg and Luke Maher also added key run-scoring hits.
Blueberg turned the ball over to Casey Wolfe in the top of the fifth, and the Legends scored three quick runs on three hits an error before Wolfe retired the next three batters to end the game.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
BIGHORNS 4, REDDING 3
Ryan Shepard and Joey Webb combined their pitching talents to lead the Nevada Bighorns past the Redding Colt 45s in a West Coast Tri-State League contest at John L. Harvey Field on Tuesday.
Nevada improved to 2-2 in league play, while Redding dropped to 0-4.
Shepard allowed just two hits through seven innings and went the first 7.2 before turning the ball over to Webb, who recorded the save.
Redding led 1-0 entering the fifth when the Bighorns got a run-scoring triple by Anthony Stolo and a run-scoring infield out by Adam Anderson to take a 2-1 lead.
Redding scored a single run in the sixth to tie the game, but Nevada re-took the lead 3-2 when Phil Sacks singled and scored on Eric Maupin's double. The Bighorns tacked on another run in the seventh.
The Bighorns return to action at 5 p.m. today against Redding.