Abel Carter catches a pop-up for the third out in a game against Spanish Springs on Monday night.
Economical is the best way to describe Vernon Painter’s pitching gem Monday night.
The left-handed Painter pitched a complete-game 5-hitter and threw just 83 pitches to lead the Carson Senators to an easy 9-1 win over Spanish Springs at Ron McNutt Field.
Carson returns to action today at 3:45 with a road game at Hug.
Painter retired the lead-off hitter in four of the seven innings and had three innings where he retired the first two hitters of the inning. He fanned two and walked two in what was his best pitching performance of the season.
“So far definitely,” agreed Painter. “My off-speed (curve) was good, and I was able to locate my fastball. It is definitely the most success I’ve had this year throwing my curveball for strikes. I really would have liked that shutout. That’s what I was going for.”
Painter lost his shutout bid in the seventh when Michael Doerr blooped a single to right-centerfield to score Ryan Costello with the Cougars’ only run.
Carson has had some outstanding pitching performances in the past couple of years, but this was one of the best. Painter didn’t dominate, but he located and that was the most important thing. Hard to remember any pitcher going the distance on just 83 pitches.
“Only two walks and he had a lot of first-pitch outs and a lot of first outs to start innings,” Carson coach Bryan Manoukian said. “That is definitely the best he’s pitched for us this year, and it was one of the best outings we’ve seen here in a while.
“Spanish Springs can swing the stick and score runs in bunches.”
And, the fact that Manoukian didn’t have to go to his bullpen was critical. If the weather stays OK, Carson has five more games this week, and to start the week with a complete game as huge.
Painter got plenty of support. Carson put up runs in four of its six at-bats, including four in the third when it extended the lead to 5-0. Landon Truesdale and Abel Carter led Carson’s 10-hit attack with three hits apiece.
Carter led off the first with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Tonino, to third on a wild pitch and scored on Kahle Good’s infield out. It was the first of three RBIs by Good.
After wasting a one-out double by Delsin Roberts in the second, Carson exploded for four runs in the third.
Josh Buchan singled and Carter doubled him to third. After Tonino struck out, Good singled home two runs to make it 3-0. Jared Barnard followed with an RBI double, moved to third on a single by Truesdale and scored on Roberts’ infield out.
Roberts hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to make it 7-0, and Carson completed its scoring in the sixth with two runs, as Carter and Truesdale both hit safely.
“Kahle did a good job of hitting the ball up the middle and not trying to do too much,” Manoukian said. “Abel has been hitting the ball well, and Delsin has done a good job.
“The bottom of the order did a good job of getting us back up to the top of the order. It was one of our better offensive outings in a while.”