Bud Murphy’s holds 7-4 lead
BULLSKIN TWP. — The bats finally broke out for Bud Murphy’s on Monday night, but so did heavy rainfall. The result was a suspended third game of the Fayette County Baseball League championship series with Bud Murphy’s leading Belmont Inn 7-4 after four innings.
The mid-game downpour left Belmont Inn still leading two games to none in the best-of-seven series with the suspended game to be resumed tonight at the Breakneck Field with Belmont Inn coming to bat in the top of the fifth.
With the Breakneck diamond looking like a swamp, Bud’s manager Lou Pasquale said he understood that the game would be resumed where it was halted after the downpour, but he was awaiting official word from League president Dan Kupets.
When asked about his team breaking out of its slump of one run scored in 14 innings against Belmont, Pasquale said, “Finally we got some hits with runners on base.”
He said starting pitcher Nick Damico will not return to the mound tonight. “It’s up in the air (who will start), but it will likely be the pitcher who would have started game four.”
Depending on weather the rest of the night and on Tuesday, the field looked like it might need a day of sunshine and wind to be ready for the resumption of action.
Bud’s had out-hit BI by a combined 13-5 in first two games of the series but lost both. But on Monday, the Cokers got their first hits with runners in scoring position to build the mid-game lead.
Belmont Inn (19-12) too a 1-0 lead in the first after Damico struck out the first two batters. Nick Erminio then walked, stole second, and scored on an opposite field single by left handed batter Mike Pegg.
Bud’s tied the game when BI pitcher Sam Beucher hit leadoff batcher Jared Early, Jason Greene followed with a single, and Early scored on a one out single by Ben Herrington.
In the Bud’s third, Bill Rouse was safe on an error, Early walked, and Greene singled to load the bases. Andy Schleihauf then drove the first pitch from Beucher over the left field fence for a grand slam home run.
Trailing 5-1, Belmont cut the lead to one in the fourth when Blake Robinson singled and Gio Schiano doubled one out later. Robinson scored on a ground out by Nate Fike and Schiano scored on Eric Fudala’s single. After Fudala stole second, Evan Arison singled to drive in Fudala to cut the lead to 5-4.
With two outs in the BM fourth, Greene walked as rain began to fall, and the game was then held up for over 20 minutes.
When play resumed in a light drizzle, Beucher walked Schleihauf and Herrington to load the bases. Geremy Hoover then singled in two runs to build the lead to 7-4.
After the inning ended, the rain fell harder and eliminated further action for the night.
Game 4 is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at Hutchinson Field in Hopwood. If necessary, Game 5 is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Thursday at Breakneck Field.