Offense, or lack thereof, is a major concern right now for the Carson Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays struggled at the plate for the third consecutive game, managing just a first-inning single by Casey Martensen against four Reno A’s pitchers in a 13-1 mercy rule loss Thursday night at Ron McNutt Field.
Carson has dropped three straight games and managed just six hits in that span. The Blue Jays won’t have much time to think about it, as they host Meridian, Idaho in a doubleheader Friday starting at 5.
Bryan Manoukian, Carson head coach, has chalked up the offensive struggles to quality pitching more than anything else.
“Reno and Manogue (A’s) are at the top of our league, and their pitchers come out and pound the zone,” Manoukian said. “We are young hitters as a group, and they haven’t seen a lot of this kind of pitching. If you want to be competitive, you have to play these kind of teams.”
Martensen continues to shine for the Blue Jays. He leads the team in RBIs, and he seems unfazed by facing pitchers a couple of years ahead of him in school and experience. He has shined in his audition, and Manoukian admitted that if Martensen continues to hit when the varsity starts next season, he could find himself in the starting lineup.
“He has really hit the ball well,” Manoukian said. “He is very aggressive with balls in the zone, and he doesn’t chase bad pitches. The barrel stays flat through the zone. He has quick hands.”
Manoukian also said he likes his versatility. Martensen can play both corner infield spots, and he can catch. The CHS coach said Martensen would be a prime candidate to be the designated hitter.
Martensen’s first-inning single tied the game at 1, and after that it was a game dominated by the A’s. Only one Carson runner reached base after the first inning. A’s pitchers retired the last 11 Carson hitters.
The A’s scored one in the second, nine in the third and two in the fourth. Manoukian used a committee approach, using six pitchers, and only Quinn Overland escaped without allowing a run.
Manoukian was unhappy with the third inning. Pitchers Randy Herrera and Josh Ingram combined to walk four hitters and hit another. Throw in three errors, a passed ball and two wild pitches, and you have one really, really ugly inning.
Jack Weise and Jonmikel Ugalde each delivered two-run hits for the winners.
“That’s what happens when your pitchers don’t throw strikes,” Manoukian said.
Carson pitchers walked nine hitters and hit three. Of those 12 free bases, seven came around to score.
Of the six Carson pitchers used Thursday, Overland and Ingram were the only ones who saw action on the CHS varsity during the spring.
