Carmichaels topples Jeff-Morgan
CARMICHAELS – If some of the heat in the Carmichaels bats could have been spread around the field, it would have made for a warmer day for baseball Friday. Football games have been played in warmer weather, but the Mikes made it a hot time at the plate, mounting a 12-hit offense to go with the strong pitching efforts of Jared Lapkowicz and Justin Zielensky to stop visiting Jefferson-Morgan, 13-2, in their Section 1-A opener.
Carmichaels (2-1, 1-0) was leading 10-2 going into the home sixth. Kolt Kittredge walked to lead off, Zielensky singled, Shaun McCombs walked, around an out, to load the bases and with two down, Colby Giles lined a bases-clearing double to the fence in right, ending the game under the 10-run rule.
Lapkowicz took over pitching in the first inning when starter Giles ran into control trouble, and over the next five innings, he retired 15 consecutive batters. Matt Fanase singled in that span, but was cut down stealing second, so Lapkowicz had a run of 15 betters faced and 15 down. Zielensky worked the sixth, allowing two hits and the second J-M run.
Overall, the Mikes’ outfielders could have taken the day off. There was only one outfield putout in the entire game as Zack Wilson lifted a fly ball to Jono Menhart in center in the first to drive in a run.
Carmichaels coach Dave Bates said, “Lapkowicz threw hard and had good control at all times. Plus, his pitch count was in the low 50s, an average of 10 an inning. Then Zielensky came on and worked his first game since his freshman year. He was strong for us as a freshman then sat out all last season with a cast on his arm.”
Bates was pleased that “we got 16 players into the game. We try to get as many in as we can for we are behind in the number of games played, and we need to get our players more work. But everybody is bothered by the weather this time of year, so we play when we can.”
Jefferson-Morgan coach John Curtis said, “Lapkowicz pitched very well. Give all credit to him for shutting down our top batters the way he did. As a rule, we are a slow-starting team to begin with, but today we were stopped by a well-coached team with very good pitching.”
The Mikes were led at bat by Lapkowicz with a home run, single and four runs batted in and by Giles with a double, two singles and three RBI. Shane Bursti, Bryan Wilson and Aaron Bowlen added a brace of singles each.
J-M had three hits, a double and single by Fanase and an A.J. Curtis single.
The Rockets (2-2, 0-1) led 1-0 in the first. Bryon Lorence and Curtis drew the only walks the Mikes would give up all day, and Fanase was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That was all for Giles, who gave way to Lapkowicz. Weston flied to center, and Lorence scored after the catch.
That would be all of the Rocket scoring until the sixth when Curtis singled with one out and moved around on Fanase’s double and a passed ball.
Carmichaels took the lead for good in the home first. Menahrt was hit by a pitch leading off, and with one down, Bursti walked and Lapkowicz homered over the fence in right.
The lead went to 6-1 in the third on singles by Giles, Lapkowicz and Wilson, around two walks. The Mikes made it 7-1 in the fourth after Giles was safe on an error, stole second and scored on Bursti’s single. Three runs crossed in the fifth on hits by Wilson and Bowlen, coupled with a walk, an error and fielder’s choice. That set the stage for Giles’ wallop in the sixth.