The Carang avoided the jaws of the Barracudas Tuesday evening in the Joseph Sprauve Men’s Senior Baseball League, squeaking by 18-16.
The Barracudas, the league’s newest expansion team, jumped out with four runs in the top of the first inning at Lionel Roberts Stadium. However, Carang quickly answered as Milton Smith hit a game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the first inning. They added three more runs to take a 7-4 lead.
The Barracudas responded with three runs of their own in the top of the second to even the contest at seven.
In the bottom of the third Carang attacked for six runs. Elmo Benjamin capped the inning with a two-run double that scored Smith and Jose Alomal, each of whom had singled in a run earlier in the inning.
Both teams went scoreless in the fourth inning. They once again mirrored the other with two runs each in the fifth inning.
The Carang appeared to have a comfortable 17-10 lead going into the sixth, but the Barracudas rallied back with six runs. Bernard Douglas, who showed his offensive strength, highlighted the inning. Earlier in the game, Douglas hit the first pitch he saw off the top of the right field wall in the fourth inning. This time Douglas cleared the wall for a two-run home run.
However, it was not enough as the Carang held on for their third victory, improving to 3-0. The Barracudas dropped its first game of the season.