Jul 15, 2010 By Kevin Harrison for The 4 min read

REPUBLIC – Wednesday’s Fayette County Baseball League match-up between Pasta Lorenzo and Blue Mountain was made for baseball purists. Justin Schrader of Blue Mountain and Pasta Lorenzo’s Brandon Munshower matched each other pitch for pitch and had batters going back to the dugout talking to themselves, trying to figure out a way to get good wood on the ball.

The duel lasted until the final inning when Blue Mountain was able to scratch out the game’s only run on an RBI double by Zack Miller to take the 1-0 win.

Blue Mountain collected the game-winning run in the top of the seventh when Ward got a two-out single. Miller followed with a double to the right-center gap to drive in Ward.

“Justin has been the key to our pitching staff this year. We didn’t have him last year, and we fell a little short,” Copperheads manager Dickie Krause said. “I think we’ve gotten good pitching all year, but our problem is offense. We haven’t hit well all year.”

Pasta Lorenzo had a chance to take an early lead in the bottom of the first. Jody Wilkerson and Brent Baker drew back-to-back walks. Schroder induced Jim Cales to hit into a 4-6-3 double play leaving Wilkerson at third with two out. Schroder proceeded to strike out Mark Wolslagle to end the threat.

“We had some guys on base. If we make a little contact we could make some things happen,” Pasta Lorenzo’s Dan Kupets said. “You’re not going to see any better pitching than Schrader. I can’t take anything away from Brandon. He pitched a great game against them today. We just left too many runners on base.”

Blue Mountain threatened to score in the third. Cameron Ward opened the inning with a single. Munshower struck out Miller and got Rick Smykla to fly to center. Cy Monzingo singled, leaving runners at first and second. Munshower got out of the inning, popping up J.W.Kayla to third.

Pasta Lorenzo stranded runners at second in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. Cales singled in the fourth and was sacrificed to second. Schrader struck out the next to batters to end the inning. In the fifth, Todd Chisler led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. Schrader struck out Mike Klamerus and got Wilkerson to ground out to second to end the inning. In the sixth, Cales singled with one out. Wolslagle drew walk to put two on. Schrader struck out the next two batters to leave the runners stranded.

Mitch’s Bail Bonds 11, Watson & Sons 10 – Matt Sabatini drove home Isaiah Bell with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to cap a rally from a 9-run deficit for a come-from-behind home Fayette County Baseball League victory.

The visitors led 5-1 after two innings and 6-1 through five innings. Watson & Sons added four more runs in the top of the sixth for its biggest lead.

Mitch’s Bail Bonds chipped away at the deficit with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Pat Gannon forced extra innings when he smacked a 3-2 pitch with two outs for a bases-loaded double that cleared the base paths.

Bell opened the inning with a triple and Sabatini’s second single of the game brought him home with the winning run.

Ben Carson pitched the top of the eighth to earn the win, allowing two hits and striking out one. Ty Erdely led Mitch’s Bail Bonds (10-9) with a triple and two singles. Bell added a single to his triple. Mick Betler doubled.

Adam Dukate had a strong performance for Watson & Sons with two doubles, a single and three RBIs.

Mitch’s Bail Bonds plays a twilight doubleheader tonight at GK Realty at 6 p.m., and then hosts Blue Mountain Friday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.