By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Carson has yet to hit a baseball out of the park, but those two-run singles add up.
The Cougars produced three two-run singles in a six-run fifth inning and used that huge frame to beat Northwest Cabarrus 7-5 Tuesday afternoon.
“Our guys battled, but those six-run innings are really tough to come back from,” said Northwest coach Joe Hubbard, who lives within shouting distance of Carson’s diamond.
Patrick Bearden, Julio Zubillaga and Joseph Basinger delivered the clutch singles that led to another victory for the surprising Cougars (5-1, 3-1 NPC).
It was a key game for Carson coming off its first loss ó a 9-1 pasting from unbeaten East Rowan on Friday. The Cougars responded well. They had the confident look of a team headed for the playoffs.
“From a coaching standpoint, it was important to kind of shun off that loss to East and put on a good display,” Carson’s Chris Cauble said. “For the most part we did. It’s not like Northwest isn’t a good team. They’ll win their share.”
Carson, 9-16 and 10-13 in its first two seasons, got enough timely hits to hold off the Trojans (2-4, 1-2 NPC). The Cougars didn’t conduct a fielding clinic, however, and their gloves made thinks interesting.
If a couple of double-play balls get turned, Carson starter Nich Glass probably cruises to a 7-1 decision. Instead, he was watching from the dugout, biting his nails, as reliever Will Misenheimer nailed down the last five outs.
Glass has been quite a story in the early going. The lefty had never won a varsity game entering his senior year. Now he’s 3-0 and tied with East’s Cody Laws for the county lead in wins.
Misenheimer has a funky motion and good stuff. He claimed his county-leading second save and has fanned 15 batters in 112/3 innings.
“Our pitchers got the groundballs that we ask for,” Cauble said. “We’ll keep working to correct some things on defense. We’ll get that defense back.”
Northwest led 2-1 after three innings behind starting pitcher Graham Lawing, but momentum turned in the Northwest fourth after Carson third baseman Patrick Bearden made a diving stop and accurate throw to rob Justin Seager.
“He hit a shot that was on me quickó I turned and there it was,” Bearden said.
Carson then erupted for six runs in the bottom of the inning. Lawing set the table for trouble by walking Basinger and Scott Ashby to start the inning. That was it for Lawing. Even though he’d allowed only one hit, he’d issued five free rides, and Hubbard had to go get him.
Facing reliever Kevin Hamilton, Kenny Karriker advanced both runners with a bunt. Bearden then slapped a single to right for two runs and Carson’s first lead.
“He threw an outside fastball and I did what the coaches teach us and tried to use the whole field,” Bearden said.
After a bloop hit by Zach Gragg and an infield hit by Zack Grkman, Zubillaga whacked his two-run single to center to make it 5-2.
A two-out walk to Tyler Freeze extended the frame, and Basinger’s two-run single gave the Cougars a monster inning. A touchdown went up on the scoreboard.
“The pitcher started that at-bat throwing me inside, but then he tried to work his way back in,” Basinger said. “When he did, I just took my hands right through the ball.”
Carson missed two chances to turn double plays in the Northwest sixth, and miscues helped the Trojans score three runs.
Misenheimer relieved Glass with the lead down to 7-5, and Carson fans reaching into their pockets for Tums and Rolaids. The Trojans put the tying runs on base for No. 3 hitter Seager, who had already driven in one run, but Misenheimer struck out Seager to end the threat.
“Carson helped us some, but we also put the ball in play and gave ourselves a chance to battle back into it,” Hubbard said. “We’ll always take our chances with Seager. No one gets a hit every time.”
Both teams missed chances early. It was Carson that finally strung some hits together for a big inning.
“It feels really good to get back in the win column,” Basinger said.