Senator shortstop Josia Pongasi bare-hands a Douglas grounder Saturday at Ron McNutt Field.
Carson High’s baseball team will enter its Northern Division I opener Tuesday at 3:45 against Hug in the throes of a three-game losing streak after losing twice at the Mike Bearman Memorial Tournament Saturday at Ron McNutt Field.
Carson lost 13-5 to Douglas, as the Tigers scored nine runs in their final two at-bats. Galena snapped a 4-all tie with two outs in the seventh to win 6-4.
In each of those games, Carson was in it for five innings, and in each of those games, Carson stranded nine runners.
If that wasn’t enough, the Senators made nine errors on the day. Not exactly the way you want to play heading into a conference opener.
“We definitely need to shore up our defense, or it’s going to be a long season,” Carson coach Brian Manoukian said. “We lose by two that second game, and you look up and see five errors on the scoreboard. We need to play catch.
“We’ve put ourselves in the position where we haven’t come through with the big hit to score a run or extend the inning.”
Manoukian said the team didn’t match Douglas in terms of energy and emotion which is surprising considering the rivalry between the schools.
“Any time you can come over to Carson and get a win it’s a good thing,” Douglas coach John Glover said.
Carson pushed across a run in the first when Josiah Pongasi singled and came around to score on a wild pitch by Dion Mortimer.
Carson starter Joe Nelson stranded three runners in the first two innings, but couldn’t escape trouble in the third.
Douglas scored three times on a double by Tomas Leitenbauer, two walks, an error by Conner Pradere on a potential double play groundball, a sacrifice bunt by Zach Davies and an infield single by Haydn Brown.
The Senators sliced the lead to 3-2 in the fourth when Jesse Lopez singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an error by second baseman Kindel Isham. Mortimer retired the next three hitters to escape further damage.
Douglas made it 4-2 in the fifth off reliever Cody Azevedo when Logan Fencl was hit by a pitch and scored on a two-out single by Spencer Trivitt.
The Tigers put it away with five in the sixth to take a 9-2 lead, as Cale Kynett and Brown had two-run doubles. Brown’s hit knocked Azevedo out of the game. Jordan Anderson came on to get the final two outs of the inning.
Mortimer wrapped up his day with a scoreless sixth. “Mortimer was able to throw a couple of pitches for strikes,” Glover said. “He was able to get a groundball when he needed it.”
Anderson ran into trouble in the sixth, giving up a three-run homer to power-hitting Kaleb Foster. Seamus Burns came on and allowed.
Carson did score three meaningless runs, two coming on John Holton’s double to deep center. Holton went 7-for-12 in the tournament.
“John is swinging a hot bat,” Manoukian said. “He’s definitely been a bright spot for us.”
In the second game, Carson once again gained an early lead, this time on Holton’s run-scoring single but was unable to hold it.
After two scoreless innings, Galena scored four third-inning runs off Kyle Krebs thanks to a solo homer by No. 9 hitter Nate King and a three-run homer by Wyatt Nebe. Krebs left after throwing a scoreless fourth inning.
The Senators fought back to tie the game with three runs off Nebe.
Krebs, Conner Pradere and Holton had singles, the latter driving in a run. Brandon Allen drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless sixth, the Grizzlies broke through against Terek Been in the seventh.
Nebe was plunked by a pitch, and Tommy Lichty, with Nebe going on the pitch, lined a ball in the gap in right-centerfield to drive in the go-ahead run. He later scored on a single.
Parker Kittilsen came on to pitch the seventh and walked the first two batters he faced. However, he retired Allen on a fly to right, struck out Holton looking and got Been on a comebacker to end the game.
