Carson baseball falters in loss to Manogue

The Carson High baseball team doesn't look like a team that's ready to be taken seriously in the Sierra League race.

Simply put, the level of baseball that the Senators will need to demonstrate if they expect to compete with the Sierra League's top teams wasn't present in any shape or form on Tuesday.

Yes, the Senators are young, but at this time of the year, the Senators can't use youth as an excuse any more. Nor can they use youth as an excuse for their inconsistent play in a 9-1 loss to Manogue on Tuesday at Ron McNutt Field.

It wasn't the ideal way for Carson to head into a three-game series with Sierra League and Northern 4A power Wooster. Carson will host the Colts at 3:30 p.m. Thursday and will play a doubleheader at Wooster on Saturday.

"You know what, the kids have got to decide or not if they want to play," Carson coach Steve Cook said.

"I don't know what it takes to get them motivated. They don't know how to be consistent right now."

Carson and Manogue each actually finished with four hits. But Manogue took advantage of nine walks and three hit batsmen to score nine runs over the last five innings. The Senators also didn't help their cause by making six errors. "You're not going to beat anybody doing that," Cook said.

Starting pitcher Nick Smallman gave Carson two shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two. But the Senators also left five runners on base in the first two innings.

Murph Gardner singled to load the bases in the first inning, but Carson failed to score. Jeremiah Teeter singled and Royal Good walked in the second, but again the Senators couldn't take advantage.

Joe Skates came in to pitch in the third and struggled with his control. Skates, though, wasn't helped when Carson committed an overthrow on a possible inning-ending double play ball. At a minimum, there should have been two outs with a runner at first after the play. After that, Manogue needed just two hits to score five runs, taking advantage of three walks and two hit batsmen.

Chris Ames entered in the fourth, but also struggled with his control, walking four that allowed Manogue to score a run and take a 6-0 lead.

Logan Parsley did make an outstanding defensive play as he made a diving catch of a line drive at third to rob Matt Pagni of a hit that minimized the threat. Mike Teixeira came in with the bases loaded and two outs and got a flyball to end the threat.

Teixeira went on to pitch 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing just one hit to winning pitcher Marcus Masini, who pitched six innings for the win.

The Senators scored their run in the bottom of the fourth when Sean Costella walked, went to second on a wild pitch and eventually came around on an error.

Jack Jacquet entered in the seventh and also struggled. Manogue scored three runs without the benefit of a hit, using two walks, a hit batsman, wild pitch, fielder's choice and RBI sacrifice fly to take a 9-1 lead.

Costella and Kevin Schlange had Carson's other hits. Kyle Mandoki is scheduled to start on Thursday while Jacquet and Teixiera should start on Saturday.

Game notes: Former Carson assistant coach Bob Ayrault is now an assistant coach with Manogue and was coaching at first base on Tuesday.