RENO — Barring the two blowout wins against Hug, the Carson Senators have struggled mightily on offense in the first nine conference games of the season.
The Senators hit a new season low on Monday, falling to North Valleys, 2-1, in a 4A make-up game.
The teams will play tonight at 6 at Ron McNutt Field in the series finale, and CHS officials are hoping to unveil a new scoreboard.
In seven games, Carson has managed just 19 runs, an average of 2.7 per contest. With that kind of production, it’s no surprise that Carson is 2-5 against teams not named Hug.
“From last season to the summer to now, we are not getting it done offensively,” CHS coach Bryan Manoukian said after watching his team get just five hits off Brendan Talonen and River Rehmann. “If we don’t learn how to take a deep breath and pick up our runners, it’s going to be a long season.”
Carson had runners on base five of the seven innings, and three times the Senators had their lead-off batter on. The Senators stranded four runners in scoring position, and had a runner thrown out at home in the first inning.
With one out in the first, Bryce Moyle was hit by a pitch. He was replaced on the basepaths by Brandon Gagnon, who stole second and moved to third on Abel Carter’s fly ball to right. With the count 2-1, Talonen uncorked one that got to the backstop. Gagnon hesitated and was retired at the plate.
“He didn’t get a good jump,” Manoukian said. “He probably should have just stopped.”
With runners at first and second and one out, Landon Truesdale tried to bunt for a hit, but was thrown out at first. With runners at second and third, Moyle grounded out sharply to second.
Talonen matched Moyle pitch for pitch, and simply put it was one of the best-pitched games in the 4A this season. Moyle threw 62 pitches, allowing two hits and fanning eight in five innings. It was scoreless when he left.
“Brendan matched Moyle pitch for pitch,” North Valleys coach John Pinto said. “Moyle was outstanding as usual. Talonen doesn’t get the publicity that guys like Chamberlain (from Reno) and Moyle get.
“We played great baseball behind him. We took advantage after Moyle left.”
Moyle is scheduled to pitch Saturday against McQueen, and he was essentially throwing an extended bullpen session.
“Bryce was right where we wanted him (in terms of pitch count),” Manoukian said. “Glanzmann threw pretty well.”
Carson took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth when Truesdale singled and moved to second on a wild pick-off throw. After two outs, Jace Keema walked. Trevor Edis followed with a run-scoring single to right.
Glanzmann got the first out and then walked Logan Rumbaugh. Rehmann singled to right-center, sending Rumbaugh to second. Clay Perry followed with an infield dribbler down the third-base line, and Abel Carter wisely held on to the ball. With the bases loaded, Glanzmann left a 1-2 pitch up in the zone, and pinch-hitter Dylan Hyde drilled a two-run single for what turned out to be the game-winning hit.
“With a 1-2 count, you want to throw it outside,” Manoukian said. “You don’t want the hitter to get the barrel on it.”
Dayton sweeps Lowry
DAYTON - The Dust Devils improved to 9-3 in league play with a doubleheader sweep over Lowry on Monday in 3A make-up contests.
Dayton goes for the series sweep today at noon.
Dayton led 4-3 after two innings of the opener, but Lowry went ahead 5-4 with two in the fourth off starter/winner Dylan Baker.
Baker made up for not having his best stuff on the mound by coming up with a big hit, clubbing a grand slam in the four-run fourth which put the Dust Devils up for good. 8-5. After scoring a run in the fifth, Dayton scored eight in the sixth, three coming on Justin Schmidt’s homer.
Justin Schmidt went 3-for-4, while Jesse Schmidt, Zach Woitas and Aidan Howe added two hits apiece.
In the nightcap, Dayton found itself staring at a 5-0 deficit entering the bottom of the fourth, but Dayton tied it in the bottom of the inning and won it with an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Dust Devils had five straight hits in the fourth, as Baker, Justin Schmidt, Nick Hein, Woitas and Max Madson all reached. The Dust Devils also took advantage of three hit batsmen. In the eighth, Trevor Burrows doubled and scored when Baker’s ball was misplayed.
Woitas led Dayton with two hits.
“To battle back and tie it at five showed a lot of character,” Dayton coach Mike Burrows said. “Going down by five wasn’t a position we’ve been in before.
“We had some chances in the fifth and sixth, but didn’t take advantage. This is a win that could help us down the stretch.”