County League semifinals
Rostraver, Carmichaels tie, 2-2, will replay game today ROSTRAVER – And still the beat goes on.
Rostraver and Carmichaels are having the devil’s own time getting their Fayette County Baseball League semifinal playoff series completed, while Mario’s is waiting in the wings to see which one they will oppose for the playoff championship.
First it was rain, then Tuesday it was gloom of night that stayed the two teams from their appointed rounds. Rostraver scored two runs in the first inning and held that lead until the seventh when Carmichaels scored two runs, and that’s the way it ended, in a 2-2 tie, as play was halted by darkness setting in after eight innings.
They will try again today to settle the best-of-five series, still deadlocked at two games each. Game 5’s rerun will be played at 5:45 p.m. today at Rostraver’s John DiVirgilio Field.
Rostraver manager Dan Palm called Tuesday’s tie “a great baseball game with bad plays.”
Carmichaels manager Dickie Krause called it “a classic example of how the little things can make a big difference in a game.”
As for the fans, they called it an interesting evening at the ballpark.
Both sides used three pitchers, none of whom allowed an extra-base hit. Carmichaels had 11 singles, three by Ron Nopwasky and two by John Tavares who drove in two runs to tie the game.
Rostraver had six hits, two each by Brandon DePhillips and Brian Horner.
Palm said, “Both teams gave up plays, and we both had ample chances to score, but good pitching stopped both sides. We got that early lead, but two runs are never enough against a good team like Carmichaels. We got out of our game just a little bit and missed chances to score, but for a fifth game, you couldn’t have asked for better baseball.”
Krause said, “We have a habit of making mistakes, and they cost us two runs today when Rostraver got that early lead.
“This was a great game for the fans, extra innings, some good fielding plays. I think using wooden bats has helped bring that back to the fans. This is a game we worked so hard to get to, and now we have to come back tomorrow and try again.”
Rostraver got two runs in the first inning.
With two out, Greg Visnick walked and DePhillips singled him to third. Jon Hanczaryk was aboard on an error, Visnick scored and DePhillips went to second and scored on Mike Welc’s single.
That was the last time a Rostraver runner got to third until Brian Horner singled in the sixth and moved ahead on a passed ball and an out.
Carmichaels had runners on base every inning but the second, the only time it went down in order.
The Copperheads missed a chance in the fourth when Charlie Humes singled, went to third on Taylor’s one-out single then was caught in a rundown.
Carmichaels tied it in the seventh. Nopwasky singled to lead off, Jeremiah Bandish followed with a single, and Eric Davis relieved for Rostraver. With one out, Scott Swinchock singled to right, loading the bases, and Tavares singled for two with Swinchock tagged out trying to reach third.
Both coaches felt the game-saving play for Rostraver came in the eighth inning. George Taylor led off for Carmichaels and drew a walk. That brought Bill Calcagni on in relief of Davis for Rostraver.
Vince Zapotosky bunted Taylor to second, and Nopwasky hit his third single to center. Taylor was turning third for home as Ryan Russell came up with the ball and fired a one-bounce liner to catcher Hanczaryk, who put the tag on the sliding Taylor.
After the second finalist is decided, there will be a one-day break with the best-of-seven championship series starting on Friday. The opening site will be determined by who wins today.