Carson batters McQueen

One big inning proved more than enough to carry Carson High to its fourth win in five Northern Division I games.

The Senators, fresh off a win over Reed on Tuesday, scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning to wipe out a two-run deficit and beat McQueen, 11-4,Thursday night at Ron McNutt Field.

Carson, 4-1, goes after its second series sweep of the year Saturday at 11 a.m. at McQueen. Brandon Allen will be on the hill for the Senators.

Carson hammered out 11 hits, seven of them singles, and played errorless baseball against the Lancers, who had just one hit.

“When we hit a lot of singles and get 10 hits or more, we can be very competitive,” Carson coach Bryan Manoukian said. “We walked seven, and that’s not going to get it done. You can’t put that many guys on base. Our offense did a good job of picking up the pitching staff.”

Lefty Bryce Moyle got off to a sluggish start, walking four batters in the first inning en route to yielding two runs.

Carson came back with a vengeance, sending 11 hitters to the plate en route to scoring seven times.

With one out, Josiah Pongasi doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Joe Nelson was hit by a pitch and Terek Been ripped one off the ankle of starting pitcher Jon Weethee to score Pongasi. Brandon Allen’s infield single scored Nelson, and then two runners scored when first baseman Logan Adams booted Jace Keema’s groundball. Moyle walked and Conner Pradere beat out a bunt to load the bases. After Keema scored on a balk to make it 5-2, Cody Azevedo delivered a two-run double to right to make it 7-2.

It was Azevedo’s fifth RBI in the last two games.

“Cody has just been clutch,” Manoukian said. “He seems to come up in big situations and keeps producing for us.”

After a scoreless second, Moyle walked Cameron Thomas and surrendered a homer to Drew Clark to make it 7-4. Five walks and three of them scored.

“I didn’t throw strikes early,” Moyle said. “It’s something I need to correct.”

“He wasn’t getting out over his front knee,” Manoukian said. “He finally settled down and got in a good rhythm the last few innings.”

Moyle retired the last eight batters he faced, four on strikeouts, before turning the ball over to John Holton in the top of the sixth. Moyle fanned seven and walked four. Holton pitched two hitless and scoreless innings.

By the time Moyle departed, Carson had built its lead to 10-4 thanks to three more runs in the fourth.

Jesse Lopez singled, stole second and third and scored when Been’s groundball was misplayed. Allen and Keema made it hurt with run-scoring hits.

Carson closed out the scoring in the sixth when Been doubled and scored on a single by Kyle Krebs. Been has been on a tear. He’s started three of the five games and is 6-for-12 in that span.

“I’m happy for Terek,” Manoukian said. “He’s worked really hard to get to where he is today.”

“I’m just trying to hit the ball hard; not try to hit homers,” Been said. “I’ve been working on technique. I’ve been hitting a lot off the tee.”

Manogue edges Tigers

RENO — Despite scoring eight runs in the fifth and sixth innings, the Douglas Tigers weren’t able to get over the top on Thursday in their 11-10 Northern Division I defeat against Bishop Manogue.

Douglas (0-5 conference, 2-8 overall) scored twice in the fourth inning to pull within 3-2, came back with four runs in the fifth to tie the score at 6-all, then added four runs in the sixth to pull within 11-10.

Haydn Brown doubled to lead off the fifth inning and tripled to lead off the sixth to help spark the Tigers’ rallies.

Blake Murray went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Kaleb Foster delivered a two-run double. Douglas finished the game with seven hits.

For Manogue (5-0, 8-3), Lucas Howard went 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run homer in the fourth inning and RBI double in the fifth. Alec West also hit 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Miners, who scored three runs in the fourth inning and five runs in the fifth.

SOFTBALL

Cougars win thriller

MINDEN — Spanish Springs capitalized on three errors in the top of the seventh inning to score two runs and rally for a 3-2 Northern Division I softball victory Thursday afternoon.

Senior Ashley Boylan plated the tying run on a sacrifice bunt and Spanish Springs (3-1 conference, 5-4 overall) scored the go-ahead run on an errant throw to the plate on the same play to pull out the win.

Douglas (3-1, 7-3) saw 1-0 and 2-1 leads get away on a day when Kali Sargent pitched a complete game five-hitter. The senior right-hander allowed three unearned runs in the sixth and seventh innings to go with 10 strikeouts and one walk.

Leonna Mortimer lined a leadoff home run over the center field fence to give Douglas a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Madison Parks singled and scored on Shaena Robinson’s ground ball single to put the Tigers on top 2-1 in the sixth.

Hayley Fein pitched five-hit ball with six strikeouts and one walk to earn credit for the win.

Spanish Springs left seven runners stranded on the bases, six in scoring position.

Manogue blanks Senators

RENO — Megan Lawson and Alex Day combined for six RBI to lead the Miners to a 10-0 mercy rule win over Carson Thursday afternoon. Lawson went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs, while Day homered and went 3-for-3 with two RBI. The Miners collected 12 hits off losing pitcher Lauren Lemburg.

Kolbi Tonini blanked Carson on just three hits, singles by Lemburg, Terryn Earle and Sarah Runge.

Carson visits Reno at 11 a.m. on Saturday.