Jun 24, 2002 By Jim Kriek For The 4 min read

MILL RUN – Give Round Two to Mill Run and call everything even. Bud Murphy’s won the first meeting of these Fayette County Baseball League rivals, and for a time Sunday looked to be off to a good start in the second go-round. But Mill Run erupted for six runs in the second inning and went on from there to trip Bud’s, 8-6, and even their series on a steaming afternoon.

Winning pitcher Bob Saddler and Jason Halfhill hooked up in a good mound duel, with Saddler working a four-hitter and fanning six, while Halfhill ceded eight hits and got nine on strikes.

Dennis Show and John Warrick, who had the only extra-base hits in the game, were also the only Mill Run batters to escape having at least one “K” after their name in the scorebook.

Mill Run got two runs in the fourth on Show’s one-out solo homer to the swings in left, Jeremy Miller’s two out single and Warrick’s long triple to right. Those two proved to be the winning edge, for Bud’s came back with two in the sixth and had a big threat going before the side was retired.

Mill Run manager Bugs Orndorff said, “Our pitching was great today. We had only one real bad inning and let them get out to the early lead. Bob was a little bit shaky at the start, but once he settled down he was tough, making them hit grounders.”

Starting with the last out of the first inning, Saddler had a string of 10 consecutive outs, before Bob Showman singled leading off the fifth

Orndorff added, “You can’t give Bud’s a thing, if you do you can be in trouble. We gave them four runs on one hit in the first inning, then we settled down after that and played Mill Run baseball. But if you give Bud’s any type of a break they will jump on you. Their pitcher threw well too, but we got the hits when we needed them.”

Bud’s manager Tom Sankovich noted, “The key to this one was the double play that was and the double play that wasn’t. In the first, we had two runs in and the bases loaded, then they got that home to first double play. In the second, they had one on and a sure double play ball was booted, and they went on from there to get six runs. Jason didn’t pitch all that bad, they just got the hits when they needed them.”

This was the second successive loss for Bud’s (11-3), with Sankovich noting, “Last year in the playoffs we lost two in a row to Carmichaels, but I can’t remember the last time we lost two in a row in regular season play.”

Show, Jeremy Miller and Warrick led Mill Run with two hits each and seven RBIs. Josh Delander had two of the four Coker hits, and drove in four of their runs.

Bud’s took a 4-0 lead in the first with three walks, two errors and Delander’s single.

Mill Run answered with six in the second. With one out, Jim Warrick, Brian Shearer and Show singled, around an error and a hit batsman, and with two down Miller and John Warrick singled.

Bud’s made its final push in the sixth. With one out, Brian Shipley singled, Jack Smarslak was aboard on an error, Shaun Lucy walked to load them up and Delander singled for two. With two out, Showman was hit by a pitch to load the bases again, but a force play ended the move and the inning.

Bud’s will be idle until Wednesday when Brownsville visits Breakneck field. Mill Run plays Connellsville Tuesday at the field next to Laurel Highlands High School.