Long day for Carson baseball

SPARKS – The good thing about a bad loss in baseball is you don’t have to wait long for your next game.

That’s the attitude Carson High is adopting after being hammered 18-3 by Spanish Springs Tuesday afternoon in a Northern Division I game.

The Senators, who fell to 4-5 in league play, get a chance to avenge the setback tonight at 6 at Ron McNutt Field. Bryce Moyle is expected to oppose Ryan Anderson in a battle of left-handers.

“It’s a good thing we’re playing again tonight,” Carson coach Bryan Manoukian said. “That’s great about baseball is that you don’t have time to wallow. To be a good player or a good team, you have to have a short memory.

“Spanish Springs took advantage of the (windy) conditions. They did a good job of hitting the ball to the opposite field (short dimensions), and we weren’t able to match them. We didn’t hit well, didn’t pitch well and didn’t field well.”

Spanish Springs hit four homers, and only one would have been out at Carson High. Carson McCusker hit two homers and drove in three runs, Justin Mannens hit a solo homer, and winning pitcher Jake Prizina hit a grand slam in the fourth inning.

Of the Cougars’ 12 hits, six were for extra bases. Carson made three errors and five CHS hurlers doled out nine walks and hit a batter, and eight of those free baserunners scores.

“We had a good approach at the plate, middle and away,” Spanish Springs coach Ben Hofmann said. “Not many of our hits went to left field. I tell them not to change the approach based on the wind.

“We have to have short memories. They are tough to beat at their place. They are a good ballclub.”

This one started awful for the Senators and got worse.

Brandon Allen started on the hill and was tagged for six runs in two-thirds of an inning, and five of those runs came after two out.

Mannens hit a one-out homer and McCusker hit a two-run shot. Noah Parks contributed a run-scoring triple. The other two runs came on a passed ball by Krebs and a throwing error by Allen.

“He got the ball up a little, and you can’t do that in this park,” Manoukian said. “He didn’t throw that badly.”

Krebs atoned for his passed ball in the second inning with a two-run homer over the fence in right-centerfield off Prizina, who finished with a four-hitter.

“That was the least hard-hit ball I’ve hit for a homer,” Krebs said. “It was a straight fastball.

“This is a team thing. If I’m 0-for-5 and we win, I’m happy. I go 2-for-2 and we lose, I’m mad. I don’t like to lose. I’m happy we’re playing right away. We don’t have to go through a day of practice. We can go out there and let the chips fall where they may.”

The Cougars tacked on six more, as Kyle Messer had a two-run single and Mannens added a run-scoring hit. Cody Azevedo and Seamus Burns were the victims of the Cougars’ second inning onslaught.

Spanish Springs added a single run in the third to make it 13-2, and then Krebs delivered a run-scoring single to make it 13-3.

Prizina’s bases-loaded homer highlighted the five-run fourth.