Douglas' Johnson blanks Carson, 5-0

When you ask Douglas High's Kyle Johnson how fast he throws, he looks a little sheepish.

"I'd say I probably hit 80 once (on the radar gun)," Johnson said, a slight grin on his face. "I just try to get them to connect; try to let them hit it and let my teammates work behind me."

Johnson, a sophomore-to-be, struck out seven and allowed two hits as the Tigers rolled to a 5-0 win over the Carson Blue Jays Tuesday night at Ron McNutt Field.

Carson returns to action Thursday with a game at Bishop Manogue. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Douglas coach Bruce Jacobsen was pleased with the effort by his right-hander.

"Kyle threw the ball well," Jacobsen said. "He just goes out there and throws strikes. He's not a guy who is going to light up the radar gun. If we make plays behind him, we'll be in games. He's had three good starts this summer."

Johnson finished strong, too. He retired 10 of the last 11 hitters. The only blemish in that span was Brock Pradere's single to right-centerfield.

"Really, it doesn't have anything to do with our layoff (a week long)," Carson coach Cody Farnworth said. "I don't think we came to play. The kid kept us off balance and we didn't adjust. Give the kid credit.

"We tried to get people work. It might have been different if we'd let Jace (Zampirro) stay in. There were some positive things. I thought Gehrig Tucker played a good third base and Jace threw well in his two innings. We just have to work better at adjusting."

Neither team managed a hit through the first three innings.

The Tigers managed a run in the fourth off Carson's second pitcher, Charlie Banfield.

With one out, Sullivan Cauley walked and scored on Dillon Lopez's double to left centerfield. Dion Copoulos took an incorrect route on the ball which enabled Cauley to score. Banfield escaped without further damage.

Carson managed its first hit in the bottom of the fourth when Rory Petersen dropped down a one-out bunt down the third base line and beat the throw. Copoulos followed by hitting into a 1-6-3 double play.

After a scoreless fifth, Douglas struck for three runs in the sixth off Tyler Valley, the third of four Blue Jay pitchers.

Cody Begovich walked, stole second and scored on a single by Cauley to make it 2-0. A throwing error by shortstop Nick Domitrovich and another by catcher Zak Harjes accounted for the other two runs in the inning.

Douglas finished the scoring with a run in the top of the seventh off Drew Moreland without the benefit of a hit. Moreland walked two batters and threw two wild pitches.

Johnson struck out the side to end the game.