The Carson High baseball team gutted out a 6-2 win on Friday at Bishop in preparation for a high-powered tournament in San Jose next week.
Against Bishop, Carson was playing a team that's a Southern California Division V power that advanced to the playoffs last year after winning the High Desert League title and finishing with a 14-7 record. Bishop came into Friday's game at 6-0.
"They're a very good team," Carson coach Steve Cook said. "Probably one of the better teams we've faced this year."
Carson was given a lift by the debut of Josh Caron, who pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Starting pitcher Jack Jacquet also allowed two runs over four effective innings. Nick Smallman pitched a scoreless seventh inning. The Senators broke a 2-2 tie by scoring four runs in the sixth.
Caron allowed a single to the first batter he faced after it appeared he had him struck out, but then went on to retire the next six batters.
"It's very nice to have Caron back," Cook said. "He kept his pitch count down so he'll be fresh for us in San Jose. It's great to have another ar and a quality arm in Josh."
The Senators took a 1-0 lead in the first when Royal Good walked, stole second and scored on Kevin Schlange's single.
After Bishop took a 2-1 lead, Brooks Greenlee singled, stole second, went to third on a passed ball and then when the pitcher was slow in his wind up, took off and stole home.
In the sixth, Greenlee singled, Derek Shoaf singled and Greenlee scored on Joe Skates' single. Good walked to load the bases, Schlange followed with a two-run single and Logan Parsley capped the rally with an RBI sacrifice fly.
Schlange went 3-for-4 with three RBI, Parsley was 2-for-3 and Greenlee was 2-for-4 with two runs for Carson (10-1). "I was happy with the way we came out and battled," Cook said.
Cook also praised Jacquet's effort, saying it was much improved over his last outing against Hug.
"Jack grinded it out," Cook said. "It was four innings of grind it out baseball. He kept us in it."
The Senators open the tournament in San Jose on Tuesday against Foothill of the Bay Area. The tournament features teams from the Bay Area and the Sacramento area along with Reno High and Spanish Springs.
"I think this is right up there with last year's tournament," said Cook, referring to the national tournament that the Senators attended in Anaheim, Calif. "There's no cupcakes in this tournament. We'll see what we're made of in this tournament."
