MINDEN - Keeping the powerful Spanish Springs lineup under wraps is quite a feat this season.
So if one would've told Douglas baseball coach Bruce Jacobsen that his Tigers would hold the Cougars to just five hits and two earned runs, odds are he would've felt pretty good about his team's chances.
A pair of errors allowed three additional runs to score, though, and Douglas managed only two hits of its own at the plate as Spanish Springs walked away with a 5-0 victory on Thursday.
"If you don't play defense very well and don't hit, you're not going to win many games," Jacobsen said. "We had a great day of practice yesterday and today was a big game. Spanish Springs is obviously one of the top teams.
"We flat out just did not come in and get it done."
Spanish Springs lefty Dallas Mellum was in control throughout, striking out eight in the complete game shutout.
"We've seen a lot of left-handers this year, so I don't know if the book is out on us or what," Jacobsen said. "We've struggled and we need to start figuring it out.
"Mellum had us doing exactly what he wanted us to do all game. He got some good movement and kept the ball down."
Douglas senior Kameron Van Winkle turned in a strong outing on the mound, striking out seven, walking two and scattering five hits in the complete-game effort.
He had Spanish Springs at two outs in the top of the fourth with runners on second and third when a throwing error on a ground ball in the infield allowed two runners to score.
Douglas got runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the fourth when Cody Lommori and Scott Rudnick drew walks, but Rudnick was picked off at first to end the inning.
It was the only time the Tigers had a runner in scoring position during the game.
The Cougars brought another run across in the top of the fifth when Jake Bray hit a one-out double.
A ground out to Van Winkle set Spanish Springs back at two outs but a throwing error on yet another ground all in the infield allowed Bray to score, setting the score at 4-0.
"We just didn't make the plays we had to and frankly we spoiled a very decent effort by Kam on the mound," Jacobsen said. "Spanish Springs is a great team. They don't shoot themselves in the foot and they get hits when they need them.
"We're capable of that, we just need to put it all together at the same time."
Van Winkle and Tanner Egan had Douglas' only hits of the game.
Douglas travels to Spanish Springs Saturday for an 11 a.m. game.
SOFTBALL
REED TOPS TIGERS
SPARKS - Reed scored once in the first and twice in the fifth en route to a 3-0 win over Douglas in a 4A crossover game Wednesday afternoon.
Destinee Levesque allowed just a single to Brenna White. She fanned 12 and walked two to get the nod over Kalee Duryee of Douglas.
Douglas is 4-8 overall and 2-7 in league.
