Carson baseball sweeps Douglas

If revenge is a dish best served cold, then the Carson Senators baseball team played the part of a vindictive waiter with a dish of ice cream, sweeping a doubleheader against Douglas on Saturday at Ron McNutt Field at Carson HIgh School.

For Carson, game one was sweet revenge on the Tigers, who took a dramatic 7-6 bottom-of-the seventh-inning win over the Senators on Thursday at a frigid Tiger Field in Minden in the teams' Sierra League opener.

This time the drama went in favor of the Senators, who rallied from a 4-3 deficit in the bottom of the sixth and forced the first game into extra innings, where a throwing error by Jordan Hadlock allowed Carson shortstop Kevin Schlange to score the winning run and serve up a 5-4 win in the bottom of the eighth.

The Senators' victory in the nightcap was icing on the cake as they took a 10-0 win over the Tigers. The game was called in the fifth inning because of the mercy rule.

With the pair of wins over its rival, Carson improved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the Sierra League. Douglas slipped to 3-5 overall, 1-2 in conference.

"They were a little excited to get after it today - especially after Thursday," Carson coach Steve Cook said. "They knew they didn't leave it on the field. They wanted to get after it."

The Senators weren't the only ones.

"Johnny's team showed up, too," Cook said of Douglas coach John Glover and his Tigers, who took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Hadlock's sacrifice bunt, which drove in Nate Whalin after he reached base on an error.

The Tigers showed their meddle after falling behind 3-1 in the third inning, after Douglas pitcher Tyler May faced eight batters.

A May wild pitch brought home Carson center fielder Royal Good, whom May hit with a pitch to open the inning. First baseman Josh Caron followed with a two-run single, scoring Schlange and second baseman Logan Parsley.

May pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and three hits. He also hit, walked and struck out four batters before being relieved by D.J. Brady.

Douglas took a 4-3 lead in the sixth after Tony Fagan relieved starter Jack Jacquet, who went five innings, giving up one run, four hits and walking three.

A Ryan Pruitt sacrifice fly scored Phil Mannelly, who reached base on a walk, to make it 3-2. After Fagan intentionally walked Hadlock, Whalin tied it 3-3 after a Fagan wild pitch to Cory Eilers.

Fagan lasted 2/3 of an inning before Nick Smallman came in. A Niko Salidas RBI-single brought home Hadlock for the 4-3 lead.

Carson tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Good reached home on a dropped flyball.

Smallman allowed three hits and two walks, while striking out two.

Carson and Douglas stranded 10 baserunners apiece.

"It was a helluva first game," Cook said. "I think it will be typical for (Carson and Douglas) the next couple of years. The kids were pretty self-motivated to go after it. They knew they didn't have their best game at Douglas."

The same can be said for the Tigers in game two at CHS.

A five-run first inning put Douglas in a bad hole, which grew deeper (6-0) in the third and ultimately too deep (10-0) in the fourth.

Kyle Mandoki went the distance for the Senators, spreading out three hits and striking out six.

"I think Kyle threw a helluva game," Cook said. "He went a little over his pitch count for this early in the season. Once he had a lead he got in the groove and was cruising. He worked up in the zone and was still successful.

"He had a pretty good fastball today. He was able to pitch out of situations and he let the defense work for him and give him a chance to win the game. We came out fired up and Kyle set the tone. That five-run inning set the tone for us offensively."

Part of that offense included Good, who finished 1-for-2 and had a two-run triple in the second to put Carson up 4-0. Fagan went 2-for-3 and knocked in three runs with a double in the fourth for the 9-0 lead.

"We try to score runs one an inning, but our runs have come in bunches this year," Cook said. "When Royal was getting on base, we win. We're a different team when he's on base. He makes all of our guys better hitters when he's on base."

Next up for Carson is Hug, which will visit CHS Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

"Douglas is a rivalry game. Playing them so early isn't good for us," Cook said. "Taking two out of three games is our goal ultimately. Our goal is to beat teams we're supposed to beat and win the series with the upper-echolon teams. That will put us in zone. Next week (Thursday) we go after Hug. Winning two out of three (against Douglas) is icing on the cake."