Commerce City – Spring break lasted until the top of the second inning Saturday for the Brighton Bulldogs.
After giving up four runs in the bottom of the first to Adams City, starting pitcher Marshall Carr adjusted to his own lack of location and the Bulldogs got their bats ringing for an 8-5 Skyline League victory.
“That’s been our history the whole season,” Bulldogs skipper Les Tapia said. “Every game we’ve played so far, we’ve gotten behind every team. We’ve beat some good teams, but these kids just have a heart.
“It’s tough. One of these days we won’t be able to fight back.”
After giving up seven hits his first time through the Eagles’ lineup, Carr went the distance, scattering four hits over the last four innings to improve to 2-0 in three starts. Early on, the senior’s curveball was hanging, his changeup wasn’t changing and the Eagles blasted two homers out of Mel Martin Memorial Field.
Carr rode his fastball after the first inning and scored the game-winning run on a two-run homer to center field in the third inning that put the Bulldogs up 6-4.
“I got in a hole and my team pretty much dug me out,” Carr said. “I think we came out and were lackadaisical because of spring break.”
Brighton improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in league play, while Adams City, which had numerous chances to regain the lead, fell to 2-4, 0-1.
The Eagles led off with five straight hits, including consecutive homers to left by starting pitcher Dustin Guyer and left fielder Joe Rodriguez.
After the Bulldogs tied the game 4-4 in the top of the second, the Eagles loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second with the meat of their order due up, but came up with nothing.
“They got a little anxious on that first pitch,” Eagles coach Ed Basquez said. “The pitcher had been coming in with that sweet strike in the first inning and piping it, and that’s where we jumped all over it.”
Brighton 042 100 1 – 8 7 3
Adams City 400 100 0 – 5 11 3
Brighton – Turney ss 3-0-0-1, Watts lf 4-1-1-0, Martinez cf 4-1-1-1, Esqueda 3b-pr 0-1-0-0, Jackson dh 3-1-1-0, Carr p 3-1-1-2, Lowe cr 0-1-0-0, Moffett c 4-0-2-2, Towers cr 0-1-0-0, Hein 2b 2-1-1-1, Mungia 1b 2-0-0-0, Morales rf 3-0-0-0. Totals 28-8-7-7.
Adams City – C. Garcia cf 3-2-2-0, Gonzales c-rp 4-1-1-1, Guyer sp-1b 4-1-1-2, Rodriguez lf 3-1-1-2, R. Garcia 2b 4-0-3-0, Mascarenas ss-c 3-0-0-0, Sherwood 1b 3-0-0-0, Esparza rf-ss 3-0-2-0, Duran 3b 2-0-1-0, King ph-3b 1-0-0-0, Fencl rf 0-0-0-0. Totals 30-5-11-5.
E – Turney, Watts, Carr; C. Garcia, Guyer, Rodriguez. LOB – Brighton 5, Adams City 7. SB – Martinez 3, Esqueda 2, Hein, Morales. Caught stealing – R. Garcia. DP – Brighton. SAC – Hein, Turney; Mascarenas, Rodriguez.
2B – Moffett; Gonzales. HR – Guyer (one on in first); Rodriguez (solo in first); Carr (one on in third).
Batteries – Carr and Moffett; Guyer, Gonzales (7) and Gonzales, Mascarenas (7).
W – Carr (2-0). L – Guyer (0-1). HBP – Garcia (by Carr in second); Hein (by Guyer in third). T – 2:07.
