Mike too much for Bearcats, 12-4
CARMICHAELS — Bentworth closed the deficit to one run in the top of the fourth inning, but Carmichaels responded with three in the bottom of the fourth and never looked back in a 12-4 Section 1-AA victory on Friday at Carmichaels High School.
The Bearcats (0-6, 1-7) scored three runs on two hits to cut the Mikes’ advantage to 5-4, but the home team responded with four straight singles with two outs to take an 8-4 lead into the fifth.
“I told them that a part of me was very displeased because we had them down 5-0 and let them back in the game, however, we’ve been pretty resilient in how we have responded when challenged,” Carmichaels head coach Dickie Krause said. “They close to 5-4, two outs, nobody on base, and the next four guys got hits. That was huge. You start to relax and settle in.”
Nick Mundell and Dylan Wilson singled before Mundell scored on Nathan Broadwater’s RBI base hit for a 6-4 lead. Wilson scored on Collin Reynolds’ single up the middle and Broadwater scored Carmichaels’ eighth run on a wild pitch.
“They had some timely hits,” Bentworth head coach Dion Jansante said. “I think part of it is as they come back through the lineup again, and have a chance to see the pitcher again two and three times, I think you start to make some adjustments, batting wise, and they were doing a good job.”
The Mikes (6-1, 6-2) extended their advantage to 10-4 in the fifth on RBI singles by Gavin Pratt and Al Cree.
Carmichaels added two runs in the sixth, as Nick Swaney and Hunter Voithofer had RBI singles.
The Mikes opened the scoring with two runs in the first on three hits. Pratt doubled and advanced to third on Matthew Barrish’s bunt single before Bentworth starting pitcher Aaron Bunner recorded the next two outs.
Pratt scored when a pick-off attempt went over the head of the first baseman for a 1-0 lead, and Barrish scored on Wilson’s singled up the middle.
Bunner allowed eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in four innings. He had four strikeouts and walked three in throwing 88 pitches (55 strikes).
“This was his (Bunner) first start this year,” Jansante said. “He has come in relief, threw three or four games this year, and of course, everybody has the same situation with the weather that is going on, but that is not an excuse.
“I was hoping to get three or four innings out of him. It doesn’t help when you drop four fly balls. It is hard to get a pitching rotation going.”
Carmichaels added three runs in the second on two hits, and took advantage of an error for a 5-0 advantage.
Starting pitcher Logan Mayhle walked, and after Bunner recorded two strikeouts, Barrish reached on a pop fly that couldn’t be handled.
Courtesy runner Taggert Shea scored on Cree’s single to left field, and Barrish and Cree scored when Mundell’s fly ball to center field was misplayed.
The Mikes used five pitchers, and Mayhle earned the win. He didn’t allow a run on one hit in two innings. He had five strikeouts and no walks in throwing 26 pitches (20 strikes).
Brad Ruse (one inning), Wilson (two innings), Mundell (one inning) and Pratt (one inning) also pitched.
“We were going to throw four kids by committee,” Krause said. “I was pleased with our pitching today, overall. We threw strikes and it was pretty good besides that one bad inning. Nothing in the game affected what we wanted to do with our pitching. They all needed work.”
The Bearcats cracked the scoreboard with a run in the third when Isiah Russell singled, moved to second on an error, stole third and scored on Jacob Kisner’s single up the middle.
Bentworth had two hits in its three-run fourth, and was aided by two Carmichaels errors.
Justin Kisner reached via error, Jacob Maimone walked and Andrew Wiltrout bunted his way on to load the bases with nobody out.
Kisner trotted home when Mike Vittone was hit by pitch with the bases loaded and Maimone scored on Bunner’s base hit to left field to cut the deficit to 5-3. Wiltrout scored when a ground ball hit by Russell was misplayed.
“We just had that one inning where we didn’t play well in the field and had some bad at-bats,” Krause said. “We talked to the kids about keeping your foot on the gas pedal when you have an early lead like we did.”
Jacob Kisner had two hits, and Chad Ruse, Cree, Pratt and Wilson had two.
The Mikes travel to Beth-Center (3-2, 4-3) on Monday at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated Carmichaels, 3-2, on Apr. 5 at Carmichaels in the Section 1-AA opener.
“We have a really challenging schedule next week,” Krause said. “That will determine the section in a big way. We like how our pitching is set going into next week.”
The Bearcats are not used to struggling to find wins, but must get back to work this afternoon when they host California (4-2, 4-3) at noon.
“This is my 29th year as head coach and 34th overall, and I have to say I have never been 0-7 in the section in my life, so that has been a tough thing for me, and we are not used to this,” Jansante said. “We hope we can get this turned around and start putting some wins together.”