Apr 19, 2002 By Justin Zackal For The 3 min read

FREDERICKTOWN – An emotionally trying week for Frank Pryor ended with an emotionally uplifting win. The Beth-Center baseball coach guided his team to a come-from-behind 14-11 win over Carmichaels Thursday.

Pryor returned to the coach’s box with a heavy heart after a one-week absence due to the passing away of his mother last Thursday. “It feels pretty good,” said Pryor. “After this past week, winning and losing is not a priority; it’s just about going out and playing good baseball.”

And the Bulldogs did just that by posting eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, to capitalize on a self-destructing Carmichaels team, which held an 11-5 lead midway through the game.

With the bases loaded and three runs already scored, leadoff hitter Mark Nesto came through with a clutch three-run triple down the right-field line to give Beth-Center a 12-11 lead. The hit came off of Carmichaels’ reliever Justin Zieliensky, who came into the game when Bryan Wilson got in a jam after three walks and a hit batsman.

“We got timely hitting,” Pryor said. “I told we needed a base hit to right or left field and he just put it down the line.

“It was awesome.”

Making it more awesome for Beth-Center were the circumstances. Like Beth-Center’s sixth-inning barrage, Carmichaels batted around its order and scored eight runs in the top of the third inning. But the Mikes surrendered 11 walks and five errors as the Bulldogs scored their 14 runs on just nine hits.”

We had the momentum; they stole it out of our hands like a bag of candy,” said Carmichaels head coach Dave Bates. “When you are up eight and lose, it feels self-defeating.”

Carmichaels’ starting pitcher Andy Mazur went 4 2/3 innings, while striking out six, despite walking eight and yielding four hits and six runs.

Beth-Center (6-2) took a 4-0 lead in the first after Mazur walked his first three batters and gave up a three-run single off the bat of Bob Yanak.

“Six of their runs were on walks,” Bates said. “When you make those people score, you can’t expect to win.”

Carmichaels (6-2) bounced back in the third inning when Wilson and Jono Menhart each recorded two-run singles, capping off an eight-hit, eight-run inning.

Menhart recorded two hits in the inning, as did Shayne Busti. Busti led the Mikes going 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI.

When the Bulldogs faced the 11-5 deficit, Pryor’s strategy was simple: “I told everyone to wait for them to throw us strikes,” he said.

Ironically, it took four consecutive strikeouts for his players to get the message. Mazur gained his control in the fourth inning by striking out the side. And after a strikeout in the fifth, Beth-Center finally responded.

Ryan King and Garrett Balas hit back-to-back doubles to ignite the Bulldog offense. The hits sparked Beth-Center’s eight-run sixth inning. Balas led the Bulldogs by hitting a two-run single to finish 3-for-3 with three RBI.

Tristan Pinkney recorded the win for Beth-Center as one of five different B-C pitchers to see action.

“We took advantage of the situations,” Pryor added. “And our effort was outstanding,” which is exactly what Pryor wanted to see in his return.