Carson falls short in another City Section title game
LOS ANGELES >> The Carson baseball team won a pair of onerun games to make it back to Dodger Stadium for Saturday's L.A. City Section Open Division championship game.
Unfortunately, the Colts will have to wait at least another season for that elusive first City championship.
Birmingham ace and Cal commit Kaden Taque allowed one run on five hits with nine strikeouts to lead the Patriots to a 3-1 win, denying Carson the perfect ending to its season.
The Colts (18-11-1) had knocked off fifth-seeded El Camino Real and top-seeded Granada Hills, both from the West Valley League, to advance to the championship game.
Birmingham scored the go-ahead and eventual winning run in the fifth inning on a one-out single by junior J.B.Dalumpines that drove in Chris Wood for a 2-1 lead. Wood had walked to lead off the inning.
The Colts had a chance to tie the game in the top of the sixth as sophomore Joziah Agredano led off the inning with a single and Noah Gomez followed with a walk. However, Aiden Brasher grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and junior Dylan Mares struck out to end the Carson threat.
“My kids played their hearts out,” Carson coach Steven Manqueros said. “If you watched the game, you saw we were on it every inning. I can't say what I really want to say, but our kids deserved this game. Not to take anything away from Birmingham, they played well, congratulations to them. Without a doubt, if you watched this game, you know my guys played well enough to win. I'm proud of them.”
Birmingham tacked on an insurance run to make it 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Cris Martinez doubled to right to drive in Ernesto Martinez, who walked to lead off the inning.
In the top of the seventh,
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Carson had a glimmer of hope as Jaime Quezada and Jonathan Olloque delivered singles with one out. However, Taque regrouped and retired Joshua Montes and Ryan Camacho on fly balls to end the game for the Patriots' fifth title in six seasons.
“My team was here for me today defensively, but I'm disappointed with myself in my performance today,” said Brasher, who started on the mound for the Colts. “It meant a lot to get here to play in this game at Dodger Stadium. It was a crappy way to end it, but we will be back next year for sure.”
This was Carson's first trip to Dodger Stadium and the City championship game since 2018.
That year, the Colts lost in nine innings to Verdugo Hills in the Division I final. They've also lost in 1965, 1968, 1977, 1995, 2003 and 2005.
The Colts opened the scoring in the third inning. Camacho lashed a double down the right-field line and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Camacho scored when a balk was called on Taque.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Patriots tied the game as Edgar Leon's two-out single drove in Ernesto Martinez.
The season will continue on for the Colts in the CIF SoCal Regional, Manqueros said. The pairings will be released today. Several teams have already declined to participate.