Carmichaels breezes past Geibel
CALIFORNIA – It was one of “those days” for Geibel’s baseball team. It was also business as usual for Carmichaels.
The Gators ran into trouble two hours before their game was scheduled to start, and the backslide just went on from there, ending in the sixth inning against Carmichaels.
The Mikes scored six runs with one out in the sixth to hang a 10-0 collar on Geibel in their opening-round WPIAL Class A playoff game at California High School, as Jared Lapkowicz worked a three-hit shutout and got the backing of a 10-hit offense.
The win moves Carmichaels to the second round.
Geibel coach Dan Kupets said, “Everything went wrong today. Our team bus was scheduled to leave the school at 1 p.m. for this game, but somehow or other the schedule got mixed up and the bus didn’t leave until 2:15. Our game was scheduled at 3, so we had no warmups and I think the entire process bothered our players.
“But Lapkowicz was very effective against us, he had us swinging at balls in the dirt. I thought our own pitcher, Ty Leonard, had a good effort after he got loose and then came the sixth inning. I told our players to not let one game ruin the season for them.”
The closest Geibel came to scoring against Lapkowicz was in the first. With one down, Bob Jarabeck was hit by a pitch, Zack Leonard singled and they moved ahead on a wild pitch. But Lapkowicz got two strikeouts to end the threat and the inning.
After that, the Gators (9-7) had only three baserunners. Jordan White struck out in the second but reached first when the ball got away at home, Jarabeck singled in the third and Dan Chorba doubled with two out in the fifth. The Mike outfield had only two putouts, Phil Gratchic flying out to Bryan Wilson in right to open the second, and Jarabeck lifting to Jono Menhart in center to end the fifth.
Mikes coach Dave Bates said, “This was Jared’s first playoff game and he was a little edgy at the start, but once he got loose he took control of the game. He is a freshman, but he has a lot of poise on the mound, plus he has his twin brother catching him and that’s a big help.
“Sometimes we seem to be a little too patient, but today we made the most of the chances they gave us in the first and started off with three runs.”
Shane Busti led the Mike assault with a double, triple and two RBIs, and Jeff Lapkowicz had two singles.
Carmichaels (14-2) took advantage of some bad defense to lead 3-0 in the first. Jono Menhart was safe on an error and went to third when Colby Giles struck out but reached first when the ball got away at home. Giles stole second, and when the throw went into center, he went to third and Menhart scored. Busti tripled and scored as Jeff Lapkowicz beat out an infield roller.
It was 4-0 in the second after Jamie Kowalczyk singled, and moved around on a passed ball, wild pitch and Menhart’s flyball.
Six in the sixth wrapped up the win. Jeff Lapkowicz, Wilson, Aaron Bowlen and Niko Buday singled, and Kowalczyk grounded to first. Menhart and Giles singled, Busti doubled in Menhart and sent to Giles to third, Jared Lapkowicz was walked to fill the bases and Giles scored on Jeff Lapkowicz’s grounder.
Bates added, “Everybody started to hit in the sixth and then everything started to jell. If you play hustle ball you can make your own breaks and make things happen.”
Which they did.