RENO — A slow start put Carson High’s baseball team behind the 8-ball early in its Northern Division I matchup against perennial powerhouse Reno.
The Senators, despite a spirited rally in their last two at-bats, couldn’t overcome an early six-run deficit and dropped a 7-4 decision Tuesday at Zunini Field.
The loss dropped Carson to 4-3 in league play. Reno snapped a two-game losing streak with the win and improved to 5-2. The teams conclude the two-game series Thursday at Ron McNutt Field at 3:45 with Kyle Krebs on the hill for CHS.
Reno scored two earned runs in the first off starter/loser Joe Nelson, and then three errors led to three unearned runs in the second and a 5-0 deficit.
“Reno is a well coached and disciplined team,” CHS coach Bryan Manoukian said. “You can’t give them extra bases; an extra 90 feet.
“Our guys battled back and made things happen the last couple of innings. Hopefully we can build on that and have a better performance on Thursday.”
Nelson surrendered a one-out homer to Brock Tsukamoto and then plunked Cooper Krug. Conor Allard followed with a single advancing Krug to second. Hayes Riedeman followed with a run-scoring single to make it 2-0 before Nelson retired the next two hitters on infield rollers.
In the second, Reno used an error by Conner Pradere and two by Josiah Pongasi to score three unearned runs for a 5-0 lead. A two-out single by Garrett Gouldsmith made it 6-0 after three. Nelson left after a scoreless fourth.
“Joe didn’t throw poorly,” CHS pitching coach Cody Farnworth said. “He just needs to be more consistent with his off-speed stuff. He needs to work ahead in the count.”
Nelson also got zip in terms of offensive support. Through five innings, Carson had just four hits off Matt Lawn, who did go the distance. Lawn is an easy guy to hit, but a tough guy to beat. He makes pitches he needs to in key situations.
“Reno pitchers pound the zone and the defense is solid,” Manoukian said.
Carson left runners at second and third in the second and left a runner at second in the fourth.
Cody Azevedo relieved Nelson in the fifth and retired the first two hitters he faced. Gouldsmith made it 7-0, however, with another two-out run-scoring hit.
Carson’s bats finally woke up in the sixth.
Nelson legged out a bunt single, moved to third on a single by Krebs and scored on a balk by Lawn to make it 7-1.
The Senators pushed across three in the top of the seventh and had the tying run at the plate when Lawn caught Krebs looking to end the game. Terek Been reached on an error and advanced to second when Seamus Burns’ line-drive single hit the field umpire in the leg. An error by Gouldsmith and single by Lopez made it 7-3. Lopez got around to third on an error and Nelson’s infield single. He scored on a wild pitch by Lawn.
NOTES: Josiah Pongasi reached base for the seventh straight game, but saw his five-game hit streak end...Lopez stretched his hit streak to four. He’s 6-for-16 in that stretch, a .375 average ... Nelson ended a four-game drought without a hit with a pair of singles.