It’s a battle of attrition at this stage of the Lehigh Valley American Legion baseball season.

The league’s double-elimination playoffs can be a grind that wears a team down - especially the pitching staff.

Just check with the Carbon Monarchs Post #304 team who were hosting Salisbury on Thursday in a loser’s bracket game.

Both teams were playing their third game of the tournament, with Carbon having played both Tuesday and Wednesday, while Salisbury was coming off a Wednesday twinbill.

In the end, Salisbury’s pitching staff proved to be a little bit deeper as it pulled out an 11-6 victory.

The Monarchs collected team jerseys moments after the season-ending loss.

Carbon manager Joe Marykwas called the season a “great experience” and said the team was “fun to manage.”

Meanwhile, the win keeps Salisbury afloat as it advances to play Whitehall today in another “must-win” encounter.

“We know that no matter what nine guys we show up with that we’re coming to play,” said Falcons’ manager Brad Vangeli. “This team has been playing shorthanded all season, but we battle”.

One thing the Falcons were not short on last evening was getting timely hits, flailing away for three triples in their 15-hit attack.

The Falcons sent eight batters to the plate and grabbed a 3-0 first-inning lead, taking advantage of three bases on balls by starting and losing pitcher Mike Yeakel, who never finished the inning.

Tom Lovelidge drew a one-out walk to get things started. Tim Spisszak singled, and when Dominic Garcia was plunked with a pitch to load the bases, the table was set for the Falcons. Tim Schware drove in two runners with a single, before Jake Zellin singled in the third run.

The Monarchs bounced right back, however, and eventually tied the game.

In the first, Aiden Rarick uncorked a triple before Ian Rarick drew a walk and stole second. Both runners scored on Randy Bongiorno’s hit. The Monarchs had a golden opportunity to score more, but left the bases loaded.

Carbon evened the score at 3-3 in the third when Bongiorno doubled and a pair of errors allowed him to score the tying run.

The tie was short-lived, however, as Salisbury answered with a four-run fourth to take control. The Falcons used a walk by Mike Stauffer, and consecutive singles off the bats of Andrew Grejda and Brady Leiner set the table for Hunter Rothrock, who cleared the bases with a triple. Lovelidge added a hit and an RBI to give the Falcons a 7-3 lead.

Salisbury then added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to increase its lead to 9-3.

Carbon didn’t go quietly as it scored a pair in the sixth when Ian Rarick tripled, plating pinch runner Matt Craigie, who came on after Evan Murphy roped his second hit of the contest, and Garrett Leinhard, who had walked. The Monarchs also added a run in the seventh on Craigle’s RBI single, but it proved to too little, too late.

LEATHER LATHERS

… Both teams turned two double plays. There was standout defense as well by Carbon’s third baseman, Bongiorno, and shortstop Lienhard. Ditto for the Falcons shortstop Lovelidge.

HITTING THEIR WAY

… Monarchs collected nine hits. Bongiorno had a double and single, while Jack Edwards and Murphy both had two singles. For Salisbury, Lovelidge and Spisszak had banner days with three hits each.

Salisbury 300 411 2 – 11 14 3

Carbon 201 002 1 – 6 11 1

Leiner, Spisszak (1) and Stauffer; Yeakel, O’Donnell (1) and Schwartz. W – Spisszak. L – Yeakel.