Jim Grant / Nevada Appeal
Simply put, the Carson Blue Jays couldn’t stand prosperity.
After scoring eight in the bottom of the sixth to take an 8-4 lead, the Blue Jays made three big errors in the top of the seventh that led to six runs and a 10-9 loss to the Reed Rangers on Monday night at Ron McNutt Field.
The loss dropped Carson to 6-12 in summer play heading into the four-day tournament at Bishop Manogue starting Thursday. Carson opens at 9 a.m. against North Valleys.
It has been a tough summer in terms of wins and losses, but coach Bryan Manoukian understands that summer baseball is about getting his team prepared for next season.
“You have to keep putting guys out there and give them a chance to fail, because you learn more from your failures in this game,” Manoukian said. “We did a good job of coming back, but we did a poor job of playing defense the next inning. You can’t make three errors and expect to be in the game.”
Neither team scored in the first three innings. Carson’s Jace Zampirro faced the minimum possible nine batters in his stint, while Henry stranded runners in scoring position in the first and third innings.
“That’s the best I’ve seen Jace throw all year,” Manoukian said. “If we didn’t have the tournament coming up (five games in four days) we would have rode him a little longer.”
The Rangers scored one in the fourth and fifth off Chazz Nystrom and two in the sixth off Dom Norton to build a 4-0 lead.
The Blue Jays, who managed just two hits, both in the first inning, were scoreless until the sixth.
Gehrig Tucker and Dom Norton beat out bunts to open the inning. After Zampirro bunted both runners over, Chase Blueberg drove in two runs with a hard single to right. Nystrom and Dustin Dutcher followed with singles to load the bases. John Holton walked to force in Blueberg, cutting the lead to 4-3. Kyle Krebs followed with a one-hopper to third. Kevin Kozsuth chose not to get the force at the plate, but to throw to first. He threw wildly, allowing two runs to trot home.
After a strikeout, T.J. Thomsen pounded a two-run homer over the fence in right to cap the eight-run outburst.
“T.J. made the adjustments we’ve been asking of him,” Manoukian said. “He stayed back, let the ball travel and kept his hands inside. When he does that, he can hit the ball hard (and long).”
The lead didn’t last long, as Brandon Allen surrendered six runs and four hits, enabling the Rangers to grab a 10-8 lead. Jonathan Pinto had a key two-run single in the Rangers’ big inning, which was kept alive by a dropped throw at first by Zampirro.
Carson manufactured a run in the bottom of the seventh against reliever-winner Jackson Gilmore. Norton walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on Zampirro’s infield out and scored on Nystrom’s infield out.
Neither team scored in the eighth or ninth.
Tucker was the only Blue Jay with more than one hit.