Jun 26, 2002 By Jim Kriek For The 3 min read

Mill Run didn’t get a whole lot of ingredients, but whipped up what it had into a win. The Millers had only six hits, but one left the park and two others were coupled with two walks for three more runs, and a 4-2 win over Connellsville in Fayette County Baseball League play Tuesday at the Laurel Highlands High School Field.

Winning pitcher Chris Brunson and Kevin McIntosh were hooked up in a good mound duel into the sixth inning, and then Mill Run made its winning move. Until the sixth, McIntosh had allowed only three hits and one run, while Brunson had ceded six hits but just two runs. Then Mill Run made its move in the sixth and netted three runs to win.

Mill Run manager Bugs Orndorff said, “We sure didn’t hit like we should, and we left too many runners stranded. We didn’t hit but when we got runners on we ran them (six stolen bases), and that set up our scores.

“Brunson gave us a good pitching effort. I told him to not rely on the fastball so much but to use some off-speed pitches, and he used that type of pitches very well.”

For Mill Run, Mike Doppelheuer homered for the only extra-base hit in the game, and Dan Gratchic had two singles. Brian Sass had two of the seven Warrior hits.

Connellsville manager Len Kolencik said, “One bad inning cost us. We were going well until the sixth, and McIntosh pitched very well up to that point. Other than the home run he had their hitters off balance. Their pitcher had four or five different pitches and he mixed them up well; he had us swinging.”

Mill Run led 1-0 in the fourth on Doppelheuer’s homer, a high drive that hit the top of the center field fence at the 380 mark and bounced over.

Connellsville came right back with two in its end of the inning. With one out, Bob Keslar singled, and raced to third as Anthony Griffith’s grounder was thrown wide at first. Griffith went to second on Ray Ansell’s comebacker to the mound. Keslar held third, and both scored on a Perry Gaddis’ single to left.

The Warriors had another threat going in the fifth when one-out singles by Len Kolencik, Brian Sass and Mike Miskanin loaded the bases. But Brunson got a strikeout and a pop to short to end that move.

Mill Run clinched with three runs in the sixth. Doppelheuer walked to lead off, stole second and went to third on an errant pickoff try. Gratchic walked, Brian Shearer and Todd Bell singled in scores with Shearer going to third and scoring an insurance run on Doug Gallick’s fly ball.

Kolencik noted, “The last two weeks have been pretty rough on us, losing five in a row. We started the season on fire, then cooled off, and now we’re trying to catch fire again.”

Connellsville (5-8-1) will play at Brownsville on Thursday, while Mill Run (8-6-1) hosts Fayette City-Belle Vernon.