Unearned runs count just as much as earned, and Manteca tallied three unearned runs on the way to a 3-1 semifinal win over Ripon in the District 67 Majors All-Star tournament Wednesday at Legacy Fields.

Charles Rose reached on an error for Manteca in the first inning, and took second and third on a pair of passed balls. Alex Espinoza then reached on a dropped strike three and on his attempt to steal second the ball sailed into center field, allowing Rose to come home. By the time the throws and overthrows stopped, Espinoza had come all the way home for a 2-0 lead.

With two out in the fifth inning, Manteca’s Xavier Hardiman reached on an infield error. Brody Carabello came up next and launched a towering fly ball to the right-center field fence with the ball staying in the park due to a strong wind blowing in. Hardiman scored and Carabello legged out a triple.

Carabello faced just one over the minimum going into the sixth inning because of an infield error in the fourth. Colten Roen hit a one-out single for Ripon in the bottom of the sixth inning. He stole second, took third on a passed ball and came on Trenton Cloward’s Texas-League single to right to make the score 3-1. Carabello retired the next two batters to end the Ripon threat and the game.

Carabello was lights-out on the hill. He allowed just two hits and finished with 14 strike outs, retiring 15 of the first 16 batters he faced and striking out the side in order in the first, third and fifth innings.

Hits were hard to come by for Manteca as well with just three — a single apiece by Brach Carabello and Bode Hiatt and Brody Carabello’s triple.

Ripon will face either Patterson or Northgate in the consolation final Saturday morning at 9:30, and the winner advances to the championship round Sunday morning at 9:30 against Manteca.