Defense costs Carson dearly in 7-1 loss

Simply put, Carson High’s softball team gift-wrapped Thursday’s game for Bishop Manogue.

The Senators made six errors which led to six unearned runs and a 7-1 loss in a Sierra League game.

The loss was the second straight to the Miners, and dropped the Senators to 1-5. Manogue improved to 3-3 in league play.

Carson returns to action at 11 a.m. today against Fallon at the Reed Easter Tournament.

“Overall we’re still making too many errors,” Carson coach Shelby Tuttle said.

“We were opportunistic,” said Manogue coach Dave Hargrove. “We had runners on and found a way to come through. We’re a good-hitting team.”

Indeed. In the two losses to the Miners, Carson made 11 errors.

The Miners started their onslaught early with two runs in the first off Jen Purcell, who got just two outs before being relieved by Erica Watson.

Kelly Lujan singled and got to second when Ellise McGowan misplayed the ball. Winning pitcher Kayla Batastini singled home Lujan, and then was replaced by courtesy runner Lanie Ehrhart, who advanced to second on a passed ball. Jojo Young, who started her high school career at Carson, singled Ehrhart to third. Stevie Tavener hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Ehrhart to make it 2-0.

Manogue scored five in the fourth thanks to errors by McGowan and Kandis Tuttle.

With one out and J’Naey Soule at first because of an error, Jules Curry hit a slow roller to third. Rebecka Breuer tried for the force at second, but her throw was too late. Morgan Barnes followed with a run-scoring single to center to score Soule. On the throw home to get Soule, Curry reached third and Barnes second. Lujan singled home Curry to make it 4-0. Barnes scored on a passed ball, Lujan advancing to third. Sammi Tallman followed with a groundball to short. Bailey Allen elected to come home with the ball, but Lujan got under the tag to make it 6-0. Young singled home Tallman with the final run of the inning.

“The slow roller to Rebecka, well that’s all judgment,” Tuttle said. “I thought Bailey had a play at home. It was close.”

Carson, which left runners at second and third in the third and fourth innings, finally broke through in the fifth for its only run off Batastini.

Sara Brewer singled, moved around to third on two infield outs and scored when Purcell’s groundball was misplayed.

“Kayla did a good job,” Hargrove said. “She didn’t have any strikeouts, but we had a lot of groundballs which is what we want.”

“We always made contact, but we were not driving the ball,” Tuttle said.