Trevor Madden is a talented baseball player who can play any position, and on Friday Carpinteria needed his talent on the mound.
Madden, who’s played catcher for most of the season, went out and pitched a complete game and contributed at the plate with a two-run homer to lead the Warriors to a 4-2 win over visiting Bishop Diego in the second game of the non-league rivalry series.
Madden allowed two unearned runs and five hits, while striking out seven and walking one to post his first win of the season in only his second start.
“It felt good to get on the mound,” Madden said. “I was just waiting for my opportunity and once I got it I did what I could.”
He was especially effective keeping the leadoff man off base, and against a team that’s as aggressive running the bases as Bishop, it was a key to the Warriors’ win.
“He did a great job,” Carpinteria coach Pat Cooney said. “He limited them in terms of getting on base. Their main tool is to run a lot and he limited that as well. He took those two things away from them.”
The Cardinals (9-4) got the leadoff man aboard only twice against Madden. They stranded two runners in the first inning and, with the help of two Carpinteria errors, scored their two runs in the sixth.
“Even when he did get in trouble early in the game he was able to wiggle out of it. He came up with key pitches with two outs,” said Cooney.
Madden and the Warriors jumped on Bishop starter Jack Gregson in the first inning. Pepe Carrillo drew a one-out walk and Madden followed with a booming home run over the left-field fence for a 2-0 lead. It was his first of the year.
“He threw me two fastballs, so I knew the curve the was coming. He hung one up there and I was lucky to get my bat on it,” said Madden
Carpinteria (6-7) picked up single runs in the second and third before Gregson was relieved by freshman sidewinder Mitchell Oleson in the fourth.
In the third, Jacob Franco walked, moved to second on a balk, reached third on a wild pitch and scored on fielder’s choice by Marcus Hutchinson.
Carrillo scored the Warriors’ fourth run. He was hit by a pitch, went to second on a walk to Madden, advanced to third on a double play and scored on a base hit by Zach Boberg.
Carrillo played a solid game at catcher. He threw out at a runner attempting to steal second and tagged out Bishop’s Scott Mandrell at the plate on a nice defensive play by Madden on a squeeze bunt by Dakatoh Smith in the sixth.
Sam Kwock’s dropped fly ball in left enabled Bishop to get the leadoff runner on in the sixth against a tiring Madden. A throwing error after a ball hit by Mandrell allowed Kwock to reach second base, and he would score on a single by Cody Yokubaitis to break up the shutout.
“By the time (Madden) got to the sixth ,he was pretty much (running) on fumes,” Cooney said. “That’s by far the longest he’s gone, plus he caught 10 innings on Wednesday, so that’s all pitched on adrenaline and heart there. That speaks a lot of his character.”
With Mandrell at third, Madden caught Yokubaitis trying to steal second. As the Warriors got him in a rundown, Mandrell broke for home. A strong throw to the plate forced Mandrell to stop in his tracks and retreat to third, eluding a tag to make it back safely.
Sutton tried to squeeze Mandrell home, but Madden flew off the mound, fielded the ball and flipped it to Carrillo, who made the tag.
“I’m a fielder too,” said Madden. “I’m just trying to do my job on the mound. Once he squared around to bunt, I knew the guy was coming home for the squeeze, so I just reacted and it went our way, just like a lot of things today.”
Yokubaitis went to third base on the play and scored Bishop’s second run on a wild pitch.
Madden walked Jacob Salcedo before striking out John Salda to end the inning.
He gave up a one-out hit in the seventh and got the next two batters to fly out.
Despite the loss, Bishop coach Dan Yokubaitis was upbeat.
“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “That was a good ballgame.”
Bishop Diego…000 002 0 — 2 5 0
Carpinteria…211 000 x — 4 4 2
Gregson, Oleson (4), Moulton (6) and Salda; Madden and Carrillo. W—Madden (1-0). L—Gregson.
HR—C: Madden, 1st inn. none on.
