Aug 18, 2002 By Jim Kriek For The 4 min read

BREAKNECK – Carmichaels finally snapped its “Breakneck Field Jinx” and it couldn’t have picked a better time to do it. The Copperheads scored a run in the top of the seventh, then held off a last-at bat threat by Bud Murphy’s to edge the Cokers, 7-6, and win the Playoff Championship of the Fayette County Baseball League.

The win was the fourth for Carmichaels in the best-of-seven series and kept the “every three years” championship run going.

Manager Dickie Krause said, “We have won the playoffs in terms of three in 1996, 1999 and now here in 2002.

“This is my best moment in baseball.”

But hearken back a couple of days. The Copperheads had just lost Game 5 at Breakneck, and Krause said, “This field has always been a jinx for us, but at the same time we haven’t played good baseball the last two times here. If we have to come back here for Game 7, we have to find a way to win here.”

They found that way – a superb relief pitching effort by Scott Swinchock and a 10-hit offense, led by home runs from Eric Holt, who went 4-for-4, and Bob Spithaler, who had four RBIs.

The score was tied 5-5 into the fifth, and then the Copperheads went up 6-5 on singles by Jeff Thompson, Holt and Swinchock, to load the bases, and a walk to Duane Dupont.

What proved to be the winning run crossed in the seventh. Holt led off with a double to right, and that was all for pitcher Chris Fisher with Nick Damico relieving. He walked Swinchock and Dupont to load the bases, and Spithaler’s fly ball to center scored Holt. That was also the only putout for the entire game by the Coker outfielders.

Bud’s tried to get moving in the home seventh, but could net only one run. Mark Riggin walked to open, and Jason Halfhill ran for him. Tony Rose flied to left, Joe Bonadio was safe on an error and Brian Showman singled to left, scoring Halfhill, but when Bonadio tried to reach third, he was cut down on a play from J.W. Kayla to Spithaler. Showman took second on the play, and then Ron Nopwasky grabbed Brian Sankovich’s grounder and threw to first for the game-ending and title-clinching out.

Krause said, “This has been an emotional series and year. Swinchock was unbelievable, coming in with two days rest and pitching like he did, plus the leadership we had from Vince Zapotosky and Jeff Thompson. I don’t think anybody gave us much of a chance to win when this series started, but we battled all the way to win it.”

Bud’s manager Tom Sankovich said, “Carmichaels deserves to be the champion. They are a class team. I thought coming in we had the better team, but they outplayed us. It hurts to lose, but we lost to a class group of players.

“We didn’t hit, while on the other hand, Carmichaels saw some good pitchers and they hit them. But even though we lost, I still feel better tonight than I did last night (after a 4-3 loss).”

Holt led the Copperhead offense with a homer, double and two singles, and Spithaler had a three-run homer.

Bud’s managed only five hits off two pitchers, three for extra-bases on homers by Riggin and Jeff Lander and a double by Mark Edenfield.

Carmichaels, closing the season at 27-14 (9-6 playoffs) led 5-0 in the second. Thompson walked to open and Holt homered deep to left. Jeremiah Bandish and Dupont singled, and Spithaler cleared the right field fence. Chris Fisher came on in relief of starter Matt Basinger and got two outs, and then he walked Zapotosky and Charlie Humes singled before the push ended.

Bud’s (38-9, 7-5) got two back in the second on a lead-off walk to Brian Shipley and Lander’s liner over the fence in center. It was 5-3 in the third. Rose was safe on an error to start, Bonadio walked and Swinchock was waved in to relieve Holt. Showman was alive on an error to load the bases, and Rose scored on a double play.

The Cokers got a tie in the fourth on Edenfield’s double and Riggin’s two-out clout over the fence in right.

After that homer, Bud’s had only two hits over the last three innings, singles by Shipley and Showman in the sixth and seventh.

Now the stage was set for the winning Carmichaels’ push.