Carson Blue Jays split at Reed tournament

SPARKS — The Carson Blue Jays split two games on the first day of the Reed Summer Tournament on Friday.

Carson started the day with a 10-3 win over Pinole Valley, and then dropped an 18-8 five-inning decision to the Boise Senators.

Carson returns to action Saturday at Reed with games set for 12:30 and 5:30 p.m.

The Blue Jays spotted Pinole a 2-0 first-inning lead and then scored 10 of the next 11 runs to grab an easy victory behind a complete-game performance by Justin Stevens, who scattered six hits and struck out six batters in his 94-pitch effort.

A run-scoring single by Garritt Benavidez and a run-scoring single by Vernon Painter tied the game at 2 in the fifth.

Carson took a 4-2 lead in the sixth on Kahle Good’s two-run double, and the Blue Jays exploded for six runs in the top of the seventh. Benavidez had a run-scoring double and Good tacked on a three-run double.

Good went 2-for-5 and drove in five runs. Painter added three hits, while Delsin Roberts, Bryce Baker and Benavidez added two hits apiece.

Carson fell behind quickly against Boise, as Painter yielded five runs in his two innings of work.

Boise actually led 10-1 after four, but Carson roared back for seven runs in the top of the fifth thanks to four errors, a two-run double by Benavidez and a run-scoring single by Josh Buchan.

Boise retaliated with eight in the bottom of the inning, six charged to Damien Branco and two to Randy Herrera, the third of three Carson pitchers.

Buchan and Painter led the offense with two hits apiece.